Target
by gothpandaotaku
Summary: Naruto's finally able to bring Sasuke home to Konoha. But will he stay? The Akatsuki come after Naruto as well. If that wasn't enough, the Kyuubi is causing problems for Naruto from the inside out. Will he survive all this... and still be the same Naruto? Sasunaru.
1. Chapter 1

**Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! The very first chapter of my very first story! I'm so nervous! If anyone's reading this, please excuse my little freakout. I'm okay. Well, besides the fact that I'm kinda insane, but that's life. At least my life... Well, anyway, if anyone's reading this at all, I hope you enjoy! **

**FYI: The very first part, the prolouge, takes place in the future at the very end of the story. I tried to make it mysterious, but we'll see in anyone can guess what's going on... Probably alot of people, since I don't think I did a very good job of that... Well, whatever.**

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><p><strong>Prolouge<strong>

There was no sound but the leaves. They were being crunched at a pace so rapid, it was almost inhuman; but yet, the feet crushing them were somehow graceful, and made almost no noise. It didn't matter much, though, since he was in a deserted forest in the middle of nowhere. To put it bluntly, he had no idea where he was. Now even what country he was in. He was just following the direction the ninja dogs had pointed him in. He'd been running for hours, with still no sign of the object of his pursuit.

_Damn it, where the hell is he? I've been at this for almost half a day! Those damn dogs better now have given me a dead trail!_

The pursuer gritted his teeth at the thought of finding what he was chasing too late, or worse, not at all.

_He better not have done anything stupid! If he does, I'll kick his ass!_

He kept going, faster now, at the very satisfying thought of punching his target in the face. He needed to find him, and he needed to find him NOW!

Before his target did something stupid.

Before he was captured.

Before their world crumbled to pieces.

And if it did, it would be all his fault.

So on and on the ninja ran, through the night. It wasn't until two more days of constant running that he finally saw what he'd been looking for: a sign of target, right on the trunk of a tree. His target must be getting anxious for some reason, to leave any evidence at all. So he followed the direction the mark led in, and ran some more.

But no matter how much he ran, or how fast, it felt like he'd never catch up. His target always seem to run harder and faster.

That is, until he smelled exactly what he hoped he wouldn't, but somehow knew he would: blood.

No matter his exhaustion, he ran full speed ahead towards the scent that made him want to gag so much that he really just wanted to run away. He ended up in a clearing that would have been beautiful to anyone else on any other day. It had lush green grass, flowering shrubs, and thick, emerald colored leaves on the trees surrounding the clearing. The only problem was, his target was there in the middle of the clearing with his back to him.

Surrounded in a sea of blood.

The pursuer had long ago promised himself in his many hours of running that no matter what the scene looked like when he finally caught up to his target, no matter how horrible, he would do what needed to be done:

He would drag him home to Konoha, even if he had to break every single bone in his body.

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><p><em>Knock Knock Knock<em>

The big lump under the covers of a small bed didn't stir.

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_

It didn't move an inch.

_**BAM BAM BAM**_

It twitched.

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM**_

"ALRIGHT ALREADY!" The figure hollered as he fell out of his bed. He made it to the door and threw it open, not caring that he was just in sleep pants and nothing else.

"Do you know how troublesome it is to wake you up? And do you know what time it is? It's passed noon. Here I went to all the trouble to deliver this very urgent message to you personally, and all I get is your blank stare." The youth, Nara Shikamaru, had his hair pulled back in its usual ponytail and the usual bored look on his face.

"Shikamaru, did you come here just to lecture me? And what's this about an urgent message?" The sleepy blonde, Uzumaki Naruto, mumbled.

"We have a lead on Sasuke. We know where he is." He said it the same way he would if he was just talking about the clouds, as he so often did. But to Naruto, this was earth-shattering news.

Naruto's eyes bugged out, and he was instantly awake.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go!" He started to dash off, but Shikamaru grabbed him by the collar.

"Are you stupid? We need a plan. Before that, we need the okay from the Hokage to go on this mission. Before that, who said we would be the ones even going? Before that, you need to get dressed." Shikamaru sighed heavily. Naruto could be such a pain.

"I'm going, NO MATTER WHAT." Naruto's blue eyes showed such fierce determination that Shikamaru was just a little bit scared to tell him that he might not be able to go.

"Just go get changed and we'll see."

Naruto ran back into his tiny house, and five minutes later he emerged with his trademark orange jumpsuit on and his backpack halfway on his back.

"Are you ready?" Shikamaru asked, slightly concerned. When Naruto had answered the door, he had seen something in the blonde's sleepy eyes that usually wasn't there. He couldn't quite place it, but it may have been something akin to… pain. Whatever is was, Shikamaru had never seen anything like that in Naruto's eyes before, so he was a little skeptic.

"I'm raring to go!" Naruto said loudly and cheerfully, with his usual smile. Shikamaru could no longer see any trace of anything off in Naruto's eyes.

_I must have been imagining it, _Shikamaru thought, _Naruto doesn't have any kind of painful expression. The only things he feels are happy, hyper, or pissed. Yeah, I'm definitely over thinking this._

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><p>They got to the Hokage's office a few minutes later, and were told to wait since the Hokage was busy. But Naruto, being Naruto, just burst through the Hokage's office door before anyone could stop him and walked right up to Tsunade.<p>

"Yo granny, I heard you know where Sasuke is. Care to tell me?"

Once Naruto had already interrupted Tsunade, there was nothing anyone could do. Besides, Naruto was one of the very few people who could do that and not get their ears blown off from all the yelling Tsunade usually did. She rarely yelled at Naruto in that way.

Tsunade just sighed, and scowled at Naruto.

"Didn't they tell you to wait, brat? I'm busy! And who told you that about Sasuke? That's classified information, and you shouldn't know about it."

"I told him", Shikamaru declared as he stepped closer. "He has the right to know. He's been chasing after Sasuke for years now."

"Shikamaru, I can't believe you! You knew he'd react this way!" Tsunade glared at Shikamaru now. "Regardless of what you say or think, this is too dangerous. We'll send a team of Anbu out for Sasuke tomorrow."

"I don't care what you say! I'M GOING!" Naruto burst out. He was yelling now.

"I'm going no matter what! Even if you tell me not to, I'll go! I'll follow the Anbu team somehow! I'll sneak out of here! Because no matter what, I'll be the one to bring Sasuke back!"

In a quieter voice, especially for Naruto, the loudmouth ninja, he continued. By this time, both Tsunade and Shikamaru's eyes were wide.

"Only I can do it. It has to be me, I just know it. The only one who can bring Sasuke back is me… only me."

Naruto's voice cracking at those last two words was what finally cracked Tsunade's resolve. She knew she couldn't win; it'd be more trouble than it was worth to try to keep Naruto here. She could tell Naruto was serious about this, and upset. Tsunade had known deep down all along that she'd end up sending Naruto on this dangerous mission, but that didn't mean she had to like it. She sighed even heavier than before, and then looked up at Naruto again.

"You will report in to me directly every six hours. NO EXCEPTIONS. I don't care if you're sleeping like the dead, you contact me on time. You will be assigned two others to go with you, to form a three man cell. Of MY choosing. NO COMPLAINTS! And absolutely, positively, NO UNNECESSARY RISKS!"

Naruto just beamed at her, with the biggest smile Tsunade had ever seen.

"You got it granny! I'll do my best! I'll definitely bring Sasuke back this time, I can feel it!"

Shikamaru smirked to himself, in the background. He'd known all along as well that the Hokage wouldn't be able to say no to Naruto.

"All right, the three man cell will consist of you, Shikamaru, and Kiba. Don't forget, every SIX hours!" Tsunade said, as if she may at any time come to regret this decision.

"Yeah, yeah. Can we leave now?" Naruto impatiently asked the Hokage.

"You may depart as soon as you're ready."

Naruto and Shikamaru headed out the door quickly, ready to begin what was sure to be a long and hard mission.

Tsunade frowned and looked back down at her paperwork, not eager to tackle it. But then she heard footsteps, and looked up again. Naruto's head poked out from behind the door, and he had another huge smile.

"Thanks, granny Tsunade. I really mean it. Just watch, I'll make you proud", he said before walking off again.

Tsunade couldn't help wondering if that beautiful smile would last, and if she had just sent Naruto, or the other cell members, to their deaths.

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><p><strong>Sorry the first chapter's kinda short... I just though it was a good place to stop. Don't worry, the pace of the story will pick up!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2 Third Time's The Charm

**_Okay, so lot's of disclaimers this time, since I didn't put any last time! _**

**_Disclaimer #1: YAOI! There will be yaoi in this. It will come much, much later though. Well, there's a wee bit of it in this chapter, but just a little. Actually, later on in the story it might lean towards shonen ai, not yaoi... I've totally decided yet. It'll be a mix of Narusasu and Sasunaru._**

**_Disclaimer #2: Torture! Self mutilation! Suicide attempts! These will all come much later too. Not saying if the suicide attempts will be successful or not, you'll have to see! _**

**_Disclaimer #3: I lay awake at night, because I know that they all belong to Masashi Kishimoto-sensei... I wanna cry..._**

**_Disclaimer #4: Lot's of swearing! I have a potty mouth, and so does almost everyone in this fic!_**

**_Disclaimer #5: Lot's of disclaimers, lol! Hope you enjoy the story, finally!_**

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><p><em>A woman was running away, screaming at the top of her lungs. Her back was bloodied, and there was a long gash in the middle of it. It appeared to be made by a very, very sharp claw. The woman ran as fast as she could, but it was no use. An extremely large, red paw with impossibly sharp claws merely reached out, and she fell flat on her face. The paw didn't release her, but pinned her down. The woman tried to turn over, but had no strength left. She settled for twisting her neck and staring straight into the eyes of the beast. <em>

"_Please! Please, don't hurt my baby! He has three months left! If you kill me, he can't live!" The sobbing woman begged for her unborn child's life with all she had. _

"_Please don't hurt him, please don't hurt him, please don't him, please don't hu-"_

_The woman's cries were cut off by an enormous red paw squeezing her so hard she exploded._

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><p>Naruto jerked upright, panting heavily. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he struggled to breathe. He looked around fearfully, not recognizing his surroundings, but quickly remembered where he was. Naruto, Kiba, and Shikamaru were camping out in a clearing while on the mission to retrieve Sasuke. It was a couple days distance from Konoha to Sasuke's location, so they'd had no choice.<p>

Naruto pulled his sleeping bag around him, feeling a lot colder than he had when he'd went to sleep. By the light of the moon, he looked at the sleeping forms across from him, on the other side of the clearing. Naruto had known he'd been having nightmares, so he'd opted to stay away from the other two. He didn't want to wake them up if he woke up suddenly, as he just had. Naruto put his head between his knees, trying to calm down his heart, which was hammering against his chest faster than a rabbit's. His stomach was churning a little, too.

_What the hell was that? Why do I keep having nightmares like that? And why do they seem so… real?_

A few minutes later, since Naruto had succeeded in keeping his dinner down and his heart had stopped trying to jump out of his chest, he lay back down on his sleeping bag.

_Those nightmares are so horrible. Yet every night, every damn night, for the past few weeks, I've had them. And they're so REAL… I wonder if they're…_

Naruto stopped himself before he could finish the thought. It was too horrible to actually be true… right?

_NO! Stop thinking about it! _Naruto slapped his cheeks and shook his head to try and clear it. _You can't afford to be distracted right now! You can't have gloomy thoughts! Just focus on getting Sasuke back home right now, and then you can think about it later!_

Unbeknownst to Naruto, both Shikamaru and Kiba were light sleepers. They had woken up to the sound of Naruto's frightened, heavy breathing. Shikamaru and Kiba just stared at each other, both wanting to ask what was wrong, but neither knowing how.

The next morning the trio woke up bright and early to start their mission. Naruto sent out a message letting Tsunade know they were alright with the little ninja bird that Tsunade had given him, right on time.

They were almost to their destination, an abandoned village right outside Sound, when Shikamaru pulled the other two aside, forcing them to stop running.

"Okay, it's time to plan out our attack." Shikamaru spoke in a low voice, as if at any time their enemies could overhear them at any time. For all they knew, they could.

"We have Intel that Sasuke's hiding out in a warehouse. We have no idea why, or what he's doing in there. We haven't seen anyone go into or out of the building since Sasuke entered. The same lookouts that followed Sasuke to the warehouse from his previous location are still staking it out, so we know that Intel's correct."

Shikamaru paused to make sure that the two hyper ninja were paying attention. Neither had been known for their attention span, or their grades back in their academy days.

"Okay, so Kiba. You'll sniff out exactly where Sasuke is inside the warehouse, down to the last inch. Once we're ready to charge in, knowing Naruto, you'll stay in the shadows. Don't come out until Naruto gives you the signal to come and help."

After Kiba nodded his consent Shikamaru turned to Naruto to explain his role.

"Naruto, you're the main focus in this attack. You'll burst in there through a window, and immediately engage Sasuke. Make sure he always has his eyes on you. Try and back Sasuke into a corner, then do something to DISTRACT HIM! Catch him off guard. He has to be completely focused on you, because he'll know you're not alone. You have to make him forget about looking for you comrades."

Shikamaru gauged Naruto's reaction to this news, wondering if it might be a little too much for him. There was no trace of doubt or fear in the blonde's eyes, only determination so fierce it could kill.

Shikamaru really hoped it wouldn't come to that.

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><p>Shikamaru sighed, and said "As for me, I'll be in the shadows, opposite from Kiba. When Naruto has Sasuke's full attention, at just the right moment I'll jump out and hit him with my jutsu. He'll be paralyzed for as long as I can hold him, which won't be very long at all. Naruto, once Sasuke's paralyzed you'll need to cut off the flow of chakra in Sasuke's body by pumping some of your chakra into Sasuke's body. He won't be able to use chakra for awhile, and that's all we need. If that all works, we'll tie him up with the chakra canceling rope, and drag him home."<p>

Naruto and Kiba just nodded, both their eyes a little wide. That was the most they had ever heard their friend Shikamaru speak at once. Especially without the word 'troublesome' in the mix.

"Okay, let's head out and get this troublesome mission done. I want to get home." That hadn't last long, and the other two smiled. There was the Shikamaru they knew and loved, out of Chunin mode now.

So they head out again, towards the warehouse. When the warehouse was finally in sight, Shikamaru gave them one last order.

"One last thing before we head in there. You're not allowed to disobey it, no matter what: Don't die! The three of WILL get back to Konoha alive, with Sasuke in tow this time."

"The FOUR of us! Don't forget about Akamaru!" Kiba growled, but the other two could tell he wasn't that mad. Kiba's bark was worse than his bite, unless you were an enemy. Then his fangs REALLY came out.

"LET'S DO THIS! LET'S GO GET SASUKE BACK!" Naruto hollered, getting pumped for the upcoming fight. That is, until he remembered that he had no idea what to do to distract Sasuke at the critical moment.

"Um, Shikamaru…?" The blonde inquired.

"What Naruto? We don't have time for this!"

"I don't know what to do to distract Sasuke…"

"Just think of something! Anything!"

"But-"

"We don't have time for this! We're nearly there!"

Naruto sighed, knowing that when Shikamaru went into Chunin mode there was no arguing with him.

_Okay, I need to catch Sasuke off guard somehow. Wait, has Sasuke EVER been off his guard? Think, think…_

Naruto thought and thought, going through his memories of the time he spent with Sasuke in Cell Seven. They were nearly at the warehouse when Naruto finally thought of the one time Naruto had been able to surprise Sasuke.

_No! No way am I doing that again! It was bad enough the first time, but then it had to go and happen again! I'm NOT doing it a third time! It's way too embarrassing! I have to think of something else!_

They reached the warehouse seconds later. Naruto quickly climbed a tree right in front of the window so he'd be level with it. Shikamaru and Kiba took their positions as well.

_Well, it looks like I'm going to have to think of something on the spot. I can do that…_

Naruto took one deep, nervous breath before leaping off the tree and bursting through the glass window.

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><p>"SASUKE! I'm here to drag you back!" Naruto announced his arrival as he burst through the glass window. Sasuke merely glanced at Naruto before picking up the sword at his side. He had been lying down on the mattress in a corner of the room, and was pissed that his nap had been interrupted.<p>

Sasuke and Naruto immediately began fighting. There were no pretty words this time, only the thrill of battle. While they were attacking each other, Naruto began to lead Sasuke outside the warehouse, as part of their plan. Sasuke tried t slice Naruto's throat with his sword, but Naruto ducked and kicked Sasuke back further. Apparently, the missing Nin hadn't expected Naruto to dodge the sword.

_That's weird. Is it just me, or is Sasuke slower than last time? Unless I've gotten faster… He's definitely using the Sharingan… Whatever, just focus on distracting Sasuke!_

Sasuke was getting more and more frustrated with each blow Naruto dodged. He was barely able dodge Naruto's blows, but Naruto was able to dodge his with ease. His swings grew more erratic, as if he were getting impatient. That, in turn, made it easier for Naruto to dodge every swing of Sasuke's sword. It looked about time for Naruto to distract Sasuke …

"RASENGAN!"

Sasuke dodged it, and was just about to start up his own Chidori, but when Sasuke started backing up he failed to notice one thing: a little hole in the ground. Now, normally Sasuke would have been able to correct himself before he tripped, but apparently he wasn't normal today. Because when Sasuke's foot went into that hole _he tripped!_

As Sasuke was falling, Naruto's mind was racing. He knew this was the moment Shikamaru had been talking about.

_What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? It's the perfect moment! Awww shit, I'm gonna have to do THAT! I can't think of anything else!_

To Sasuke's astonishment (not that he showed it), instead of letting him fall to the ground and then putting a kunai to his throat, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's wrist and stopped his descent. Sasuke barely had time to think _What the hell! _Before Naruto continued to pull him up, grabbed Sasuke's face with his free hand, and crushed their lips together.

Sasuke immediately tried to pull away, but Naruto wasn't having any of that. He grabbed the other side of Sasuke's face, locking the startled raven in place. Naruto held the pose, but after a few seconds he opened his eyes. Sasuke's face was unSasuke-like, with his eyes as wide as saucers, it was almost comical. He couldn't believe Sasuke had broken the mask he always wore on his face. Then something happened that was even more unSasuke-like and made Naruto shut his eyes and loosen his grip on Sasuke's face a little. Naruto was sure that his face must now look like Sasuke's had a few seconds ago. Naruto kept his eyes closed, however, so he didn't see whether Sasuke's face had changed.

Something had just dawned on Naruto.

_GAAAAH! I'm doing this! But this time is so much different than the rest. This kiss so… It's almost like-_

Once again, Naruto stopped himself from completing a thought. This time, his mind simply wasn't ready to try and understand what he had almost thought. Meanwhile, Naruto's chakra continued to pump into Sasuke, as it had ever since they'd locked lips. By this time, Sasuke was beginning to feel it.

_What the hell? Is he trying to stop the flow of my chakra? That must be why he's held it for so long! Shit, I can't believe I fell for it! Damn, I can't I did that! But he seems so much faster than last time… When is he going to let it go? It's getting hot… TOO hot… It's like I'm burning…_

It felt like flames were burning Sasuke from the inside out. Each second, the pain grew more intense. What had started as a (not that Sasuke would ever admit it) nice warm feeling had now spread throughout his body, and was now so intense Sasuke was sure his internal organs were being consumed by flames.

_Damn usuratonkachi! Is he actually trying to kill me? _Sasuke took one more look at Naruto's face. He looked alarmed now, since Sasuke was beginning to go limp. As if he didn't want Sasuke to be hurt. _No, he hasn't changed at all. _Sasuke's last thought before he blacked out had a bit of a smirk to it.

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><p>Kiba and Shikamaru came out of their positions just as Naruto caught Sasuke in his arms before he fell. Neither of their jaws had closed yet from when they'd dropped them the second Naruto had kissed Sasuke. When it had happened, Kiba had almost given away his location with a gasp. Thankfully, he'd slapped his hand against his mouth in time.<p>

"What the hell was that?" Kiba broke the silence.

"Me, pumping my chakra into Sasuke like Shikamaru said to." Naruto replied curtly.

"Looks like you were making out with him."

"LIKE HELL I WAS!"

"Look, you deprived him of oxygen so much he passed out."

"That's not why! I forgot to mention, 'cause I kinda forgot myself. The Kyuubi's chakra is poisonous to anyone but me."

"You didn't kill him, did you?"

"Nah, I didn't put much in there at all."

"Just let us know next time, Naruto."

"Let you know what?"

"The next time you want to jump our target!"

"I was trying to catch him off guard, like the time we accidently kissed in class once! THAT'S ALL!"

"Sure, sure. You know, you could have told us the reason you wanted to get him back so badly was because you were in love with him."

"Fuck you, Kiba. I hate Sasuke."

"Whatever. You'll figure it out soon enough."

"Do you want me to pump my chakra into you, too?"

"No thanks, I'm straight."

"I'M NOT GAY, YOU ASSHOLE!"

"Guys, will you shut up so we can leave? I wanna get this troublesome mission over with." Shikamaru tried to break up the fight that was surely coming.

It was another ten minutes before Naruto and Kiba stopped arguing long enough to head out. Naruto carried Sasuke princess style with the chakra-canceling ropes on him while they ran and leaped from tree to tree. While he was doing that, Naruto reflected on something he was sure Kiba and Shikamaru hadn't seen, for which he was extremely thankful for. It shocked and scared him at the same time: Sasuke had kissed him back.


	3. You Can Almost Touch The Sky

**La la la la... More disclaimers...La la la**

**Disclaimer #1: Gore! The story will get a bit more gory not long from now. Naruto's nightmare wasn't a one time thing.**

**Disclaimer #2: I make stuff up. I just type whatever my cramped, crazy little hand comes up with. There's no such thing as a ninja bird. Sorry if people don't like that I do that... If I make a mistake, please calmly tell me.**

**Disclaimer #3: If I owned Naruto, and not Masashi Kishimoto-sensei, none of those kisses in the anime would be by accident. And there'd be ALOT more of them!**

**So if anyone's still reading this after all those disclaimers last time, and this time, please enjoy!**

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><p>When Naruto, Kiba, and Shikamaru reached the entrance to Konoha with Sasuke they were met by a team of Anbu.<p>

"We'll take it from here. Please hand Uchiha over." One of them said, stepping forward.

"Where are you taking him?" Naruto's eyes narrowed as he said this.

"To the jail, until it's decided what will be done with him."

"He needs a hospital, not jail." Naruto openly glared at the Anbu now, and held onto Sasuke tighter.

"It's the Hokage's orders."

Naruto began to back away from the Anbu, but Shikamaru put his hand on Naruto's chest to stop him.

"Let him go with the Anbu. He'll be fine. They won't mistreat him." Shikamaru looked at Naruto pointedly. "That's an order from your captain."

Naruto glared at Shikamaru even harder, but after a few seconds handed Sasuke over to the Anbu captain. He put Sasuke over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, rather roughly, and flew off.

Naruto continued to glare at the spot the Anbu had just vacated for several seconds more, then flew off himself. He needed to have a talk with Tsunade.

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><p>"What the hell, granny? Why is Sasuke going to jail?" Was Naruto's greeting to Tsunade this time. Tsunade sighed heavily, anticipating a very long and very difficult conversation ahead.<p>

"Naruto, I'm the Hokage. You can't barge in here whenever you feel like it, I have things to do."

"Oh come on, you know you love it. It gets you away from your paperwork." Tsunade glared at him, because it was true.

"What do you want, brat?"

"I _don't_ want Sasuke to go to jail. I _do _want to see Sasuke after he wakes up."

_This is going to be worse than I thought _Tsunade groaned internally.

"One, it's the law that all former nukenin, once captured, go to jail until sentencing. Two, Sasuke wants to destroy Konoha, so he really does belong there. Three, absolutely no one can see Sasuke right now without my permission. Four, it's too dangerous for you to see him, he'd probably try to kill you!"

"I think I could convince Sasuke that Konoha isn't as bad as he thinks it is. Just give me a day or two with him."

"NO!"

"You know I'll do it anyway!" Naruto yelled and slapped his hands down loudly on Tsunade's desk. "Please. Please let me do this. I know I can change his mind. Just like I knew I'd bring him back this time. Believe in me. _Please." _Naruto whispered that last word.

Tsunade stared into Naruto's eyes to see just how serious he really was. Once again, she knew Naruto was right. But once again, she didn't have to like it.

"You will do this MY way, or not at all! Whenever you are with Sasuke a team of Anbu will be watching your every move. No taking him outside the village. If things get too dangerous, get away."

Naruto smirked. "I knew you'd see it my way."

"Shut up brat! Is that all?"

"Just one thing: When Sasuke's punishment is announced I want to know it right away, and I want to serve it in his place."

Tsunade's jaw almost dropped to her desk before she closed it.

"Wha- wha- NO!" Tsunade's surprise quickly turned to anger.

"You're the Hokage granny. I know you can do it."

"That doesn't mean I will." Tsunade paused, and then looked down. "I won't… I won't do that to you. It's not fair to you to suffer for what that Uchiha did willingly." Tsunade spat the word Uchiha as if it were the vilest word in existence.

Naruto looked straight into Tsunade's eyes, and said in a low voice "Do you think it will be easy for him? I already know the villagers will hate him. They'll give him a hard time. Isn't that enough? To have people hate you, even though they don't really know you? Isn't that more than enough? Besides, Sasuke was just doing what he thought was right, at first. He just went about it the wrong way. And… part of that's my fault, I think." Naruto put his hand out to stop Tsunade's protest, and then continued. "If I had been a better friend, and realized something was wrong ahead of time, maybe I could have stopped him from leaving. Or if I had just been stronger, and tried harder, when Sasuke and I fought at the Valley of The End, maybe he would have stayed. I know Sasuke was power-hungry, and wanted to avenge his clan, but still… I think if he would have asked me to help him, I would have. Even if it meant leaving the village. So please, granny, Sasuke's still my best friend, no matter what he did. I want to help him in any way possible, even if I have to suffer a little. I don't want him to suffer." With that, Naruto finished his speech.

Tsunade stared openly at Naruto, with her eyes as wide as they could go, taken aback. Whatever she had been expecting, this hadn't been it. She had no idea that Naruto could be so… serious. Subdued, even. _He must really want this. I don't think he'll take no for an answer. Should I let him? But what if Sasuke's sentence is death? No! I WON"T let that happen! I won't let anyone hurt Naruto!_

"I'm not doing this for Sasuke; I'm doing this for you. I know you'll beat yourself up if I don't let you do this. Just know that I'm against it." Tsunade growled.

Naruto smirked, and said "You know you can't say no to me granny. You always give me what I want."

"You're an insufferable, impatient, incompetent brat!"

"That's why you love me!"

"Hurry up and get out of here! I have things to do!" Tsunade threw a bottle of ink at Naruto's head. Thankfully, he caught it. Naruto laughed, as if the thought of a busy Tsunade was funny, but quickly walked out of the room. He knew he was her favorite, but still didn't want to risk making her angry. Naruto didn't want his ear yelled off or his bones broken.

Tsunade looked down at her pile of paperwork and frowned. It had more than doubled since the last time Naruto had come to visit her. _I'm never going to get this done. Why should I even bother to try? _She thought as she closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. That is, until she heard footsteps and had to open her eyes again. Naruto was poking his head through the door again.

"Thanks again granny. I really appreciate it. Let me know when Sasuke's sentence is announced. See ya!" He threw Tsunade one of his trademark smiles and walked off again.

Tsunade smiled to herself, thinking of how Naruto could be quite the charmer. But it quickly turned into a frown when she thought of how that smile would surely be turned screams of agony not that long from now. _That idiot. Why does he always have to shoulder all the burden by himself? None of this is his fault in any way, but can he see that? No! Ohh, why did I agree to let him do that? Why do I always fall for those blue eyes? _Tsunade sighed and let her head fall onto her desk with a bang. Owww. Now her headache was even worse.

* * *

><p>Naruto walked slowly through the village the next day, on the way to the local jail. Sasuke had woken up late last night. An Anbu member had woken up Naruto early this morning, telling him the news upon Tsunade's orders. It had taken the Anbu a while to wake Naruto up, like it had with Shikamaru. Naruto was still having those nightmares, and they were really hard to wake up from.<p>

This time, it had been a woman getting sliced in half by large claws. What must have been her husband had charged, with tears in his eyes, only to have his head cut off by a very familiar set of claws.

Needless to say, Naruto wasn't in the best frame of mind while on his way to see his former best friend.

_No! Not former! Sasuke's back! You just have to get him to see the light! _Naruto chided himself. _It's like Neji said. He's trapped in the darkness. All you have to do is drag him out, kicking and screaming._

Naruto reached the jail building, and went to grab the door handle. Only problem was, his hand was shaking badly. Too badly to actually grip the handle.

_Stop it! Stop shaking! Stop being so nervous! It's Sasuke! You know him!_

_Do you really? _An inner voice inside Naruto spoke up. He was so startled that he actually jumped a little. _He hates you. He tried to kill you multiple times! Why would he talk to you? Why would he listen to you? Why would he stay? You couldn't make him stay last time, what makes you think this time will be any different? He wants to destroy Konoha, remember? At any moment he'll snap and try to kill us all! Then you'll have no choice but to kill hi-_

"SHUT UP!" Naruto yelled out loud, silencing the voice. He looked around, trying to see if anyone had heard his little outburst. No one was in sight, so he put his hand back out to grab the handle. Once again, it was shaking.

_Damn it! That's not true! None of that's true! No matter what he says, Sasuke wouldn't do that! Believe in him! He needs you right now, more than ever!_

Naruto swallowed, took a deep breath, and used every last ounce of his strength to turn the handle and step out of the warmth of the sunlight into the cold of the building.

Naruto walked down the dank cell-lined hallway slowly, mentally preparing himself for his next encounter. When he'd told the guards he wanted to see Uchiha Sasuke, they'd laughed in his face. That is, until he told them he was Uzumaki Naruto. Then they'd sputtered out apologies as fast as they could. They'd dropped their jaws and their eyes bugged out when Naruto showed them the order from the Hokage in writing. They'd simply fallen out of their chairs when they read it and saw that Naruto had permission to take Sasuke out of the jail for the entire day.

When he reached Sasuke's cell, Naruto just stared at Sasuke. He had no idea what to say. The Uchiha sat in the corner of the cell furthest from the door. When he saw Naruto staring at him in wonder, he stared back. They stared into each other's eyes for five straight minutes before Sasuke finally spoke up.

"I see you're not here to kill me, so what do you want?"

The two Anbu guards behind Naruto leaned into each other, and made a bad attempt at whispering "He spoke! I can't believe it! He hasn't acknowledged anyone until now."

_So Sasuke's been ignoring everyone. I wonder why… Maybe he thinks he's going to be executed? And why am I the first person he's acknowledged? Maybe that means he still thinks of me as a friend, in some way. _Naruto's heart started to pound, and he gathered up the courage to speak to Sasuke.

"I want to talk to you. You're going to come with me, and I'm going to MAKE you see the light if I have to shine it in your eyes."

"Hn. You're wasting your time. They're obviously going to kill me once my sentencing comes through. Besides, nothing you say will make me stop hating Konoha." Was Sasuke's smooth reply.

"We'll just have to see about that, now won't we?" Naruto replied back just as smoothly.

* * *

><p><em>Okay, this is ridiculous! She said I'd have Anbu on me whenever I'm with Sasuke, but she didn't say I'd have THREE teams on me! It's too much! A total waste of Anbu!<em>

Naruto was walking through Konoha with Sasuke now, and the Anbu were really cramping their style.

_They're so damn obvious about it too! They're barely even attempting to be covert! It's not even like Sasuke can do anything! _Sasuke, now wearing simple black clothes and an Anbu-like mask to hide his identity, still had the chakra-canceling handcuffs on he'd got when entering Konoha.

It was getting a little harder to move now that they were entering a busy part of the village. At least one team of Anbu alone were currently touching Naruto.

"We have to ditch them." Naruto muttered to himself, too low for anyone else to hear. If they didn't, he wouldn't be able to get anywhere with Sasuke!

Naruto's idea was to take Sasuke on a tour of the village. He wanted Sasuke to see all the changes that'd occurred since he'd last been there about four years ago. Once they were done with the tour he planned on taking Sasuke one of his favorite places that wasn't exactly on the map. So once they were finished walking about Konoha, the Anbu would have to go. It sounded easier than it would be, and it did NOT sound easy.

The entire time Sasuke was on the tour his expression didn't change. Naruto didn't expect it to, he knew Sasuke better than that. However, Naruto did notice despite Sasuke's mask that his eyes were roaming everywhere, as if he were trying to catch every last detail. Naruto wasn't one hundred percent sure, but he took that as a good sign. _At least he's showing some interest, even if he's trying to be sneaky about it. But this silence is killing me! _The entire time they'd been strolling through the village, barely anyone had spoken. Naruto only commented quickly on something that had changed as they walked past it, and never looked as Sasuke while doing so. Sasuke didn't reply back either. _Damn teme. Can't even say what he's thinking, even once._

About ten minutes later Naruto lead them past a particularly busy part of the shopping district. It just so happened that there was a huge sale going on at the favorite grocery market of the local wives. Naruto walked right into the crowd, which took up almost the entire street. He kept moving through the crowd, and eventually gained a little distance from the Anbu. Now there were only two left next to him and Sasuke. Naruto did his best to walk even faster, and squeezed between people every chance he got. Naruto looked around, and saw that the Anbu had realized the other members were gone, and were looking around in vain. The crowd was just too thick for anyone to see past the people surrounding them. The Anbu were distracted, and Naruto saw his golden opportunity. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's cuffed hand and ducked down. He motioned for Sasuke to do the same, and after a brief pause he did. They got down on all fours and proceeded to crawl through the crowd, ducking between people's legs every now and then. They must have gotten hundreds of glares, but they continued until they were finally through the crowd. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand and ran as fast as he could.

To where, Sasuke had no idea. He was just glad they had ditched the Anbu. They made him feel more on edge than usual.

Naruto led Sasuke to the base of Hokage Mountain, darting into the shadows whenever possible to not be seen by anyone that may be nearby. They were on the opposite side of the faces, and Naruto paused to catch his breath from running so hard for so long. He still didn't let go of Sasuke's hand.

Sasuke waited, hoping for the other ninja to speak, but his curiosity got the best of him. Strange, he hadn't even realized he could still feel curious.

"Why are we here?" Sasuke spoke up for the first time. Naruto jumped slightly, as if he were surprised to hear Sasuke's voice. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again, only to shut it once more. He scowled, then took a deep breath to calm himself. Naruto opened his mouth to try once more, and this time words actually came out.

"I want to show you something. It's a secret, so don't tell anyone. If anyone finds out we were here I'll have to kill you." Naruto's eyes were dead serious.

Sasuke stiffened and narrowed his eyes at Naruto's words. His trademark glare came back on his face. That is, until Naruto suddenly doubled over with laughter.

"I can't believe you fell for that!" He said in between laughs. "You though I was serious! You still can't take a joke!" He wiped tears from his eyes and stood up. He walked over to Sasuke and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's good to know that you still don't have a sense of humor. That everything about you hasn't changed." Naruto's face was more serious now, but traces of laughter were still in his eyes. Sasuke frowned, but visibly relaxed. He should have known not to take the dobe seriously. He had nothing to worry about from this idiot.

"Are you ready to go?" Naruto walked over to a pile of boulders.

"Where?" Sasuke spoke quietly, still a little uncertain.

"To my secret hiding place."

Naruto stepped over to a particularly large boulder against the mountain and pushed it to the side, revealing what must be a tunnel.

"A tunnel?" Sasuke said after staring at it for a few seconds. He didn't like the looks of it.

"Uh, yeah, let's go."

When Sasuke didn't move, Naruto walked back to him and grabbed his hand. He allowed Naruto to lead him into the tunnel and they began walking in the darkness.

_He still likes to touch me so casually, _Sasuke thought as he stared down at their intertwined hands. Naruto was the only person Sasuke had ever allowed to touch him like that.

* * *

><p>Several minutes later, they emerged from the tunnel into the sky. At least, that's what it felt like, with the sky so close you could almost touch the clouds. In reality, Naruto and Sasuke were inside Hokage Mountain.<p>

"We're in a hole inside Hokage Mountain. Right near the corner of the First Hokage's right eye. You can barely even see it from a distance, so no one will know that we're here." Naruto explained. "I just stumbled upon it one day, accidentally. Afterwards I came back pretty often. I always did after a rough day of the villagers harassing me. I came here to think a lot."

Sasuke continued to stare at the clouds, his eyes wide, despite himself. He had never seen the sky so clearly before, and from such a high place. When he'd been with Orochimaru, he'd always been stuck in the dark. They always traveled at night, and Orochimaru had never let Sasuke roam around outside during the day.

Naruto sat down, his legs dangling dangerously over the edge. He motioned for Sasuke to sit down too. Sasuke replied, if a little reluctantly. When he stepped into the sunlight he felt like backing away. He wasn't used to it, and it was too hot and bright. He didn't belong in it. The night was his domain. But not wanting Naruto to think he was trying to escape, or he was scared or something, he stepped forward and sat next to Naruto. They sat there a long time, Naruto staring at the sky, Sasuke drinking in the warmth of the sunlight for the first time in years. But eventually, Naruto spoke.

"This is my favorite place in the whole world, Sasuke. I've never brought anyone here before. You're the first. I admit, I was a little nervous. So… what do you think?"

Sasuke smirked ever so slightly, and said "It's too bright for anyone but you."

Naruto couldn't help but laugh loudly.

"Bastard!"

* * *

><p><strong>The amount of reviews (By that I mean almost none) is kinda scaring me a little. Please review and comment if you feel like it! Just don't be too mean... I get enough yelling in my life, I don't need it online too.<strong>


	4. And The Ice Cracked

**Yay! I was able to update two days in a row! Praise me! Not that I'm desperate or anything. I'm not... I'm really not...**

**Disclaimer: Naruto wants to be mine; he really does. If he were mine he'd be able to be with Sasuke all the time. But Masashi Kishimoto-sensei's mean and keeps them apart! :C**

**FYI: The ninja war never happened in this fic. The Shinobi Alliance didn't either, obviously. Pretty much all the stuff leading up to it did, though. This is set four years after Sasuke leaves, so they'd be 17... right?**

**Okay, so let's see if Naruto can convince Sasuke to stay in Konoha!**

* * *

><p>Naruto and Sasuke lay in the crevice, in their own little world, until evening. They said nothing, they just were. It wasn't until the sun had set that the bubble of peacefulness was shattered by a certain blonde ninja.<p>

"Okay! I've waited long enough! I can't sit still anymore! It's driving me crazy!" Naruto stood up and yelled.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. It had been a long time since he'd seen and heard a tantrum from his former teammate.

_He really hasn't matured at all, has he?_ For some reason, Sasuke didn't mind that fact as much as he thought he would. For a few brief seconds Sasuke wondered what it would be like if Naruto had changed. He quickly decided he didn't like it. Seeing Naruto act like he used to was almost comforting to Sasuke. Not that he even admitted that thought to himself. It stayed untouched in the back of his mind, never quite reaching the surface.

"Sasuke! Hello! Are you there?" Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts, finding Naruto's face just inches from his. He didn't show it, but that had surprised him. "You were just kinda zoning out on me there. You okay?" Naruto asked, concern in his voice. Sasuke just stared at Naruto, actually quite taken aback.

_How? How can he still be concerned for me? Why does he still care? Why risk the Anbu coming after him? Why risk being alone with me? I tried to kill him! More than once! Is he just stupid? _Sasuke didn't understand Naruto's actions, and that pissed him off. _And I still do want to kill him… right?" _Sasuke wasn't sure anymore, and that pissed him off even more. So he returned Naruto's curious gaze with a cold glare.

"Oh that's right! You're UCHIHA SASUKE! You can't be bothered with people's concern for you! You don't need anyone!"Naruto said in a high pitched tone, but then continued in a much lower voice. "So let me ask you this Sasuke: Are you happy?"

Even Sasuke couldn't stop his eyes from widening.

"Am I what?" Sasuke asked, making sure he heard right.

"Happy. Did leaving the village make you happy? Did killing Itachi make you happy? Does the power you have now make you happy? Does _anything _make you happy?" Naruto paused to take a breath, and then continued in a whisper. "Don't you think you deserve to be happy Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked away and said harshly "I don't need to be happy. I CAN'T be happy after what happened to my clan. I just need to achieve my goals."

"Why can't you be happy Sasuke? What's stopping you? Your family wouldn't want you to be like this. To be coldhearted like Itachi. To be hung up on revenge. They'd want you to be happy!"

"You don't know shit about my family and what they'd want."

"Would they really have wanted you to be unhappy? Would they have wanted you to do all this?"

"SHUT UP!" Sasuke yelled and buried his head between his knees.

"You have friends Sasuke! People who care about you, no matter how much of an ass you are! People who want you to be happy!"

"NO I DON'T! I HATE KONOHA! AND EVERYTHING ABOUT IT!"

"Do you really? I think you're just scared. Scared that if you allow yourself to care they'll end up leaving you. Like your family."

"YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL!"

"I kind of do Sasuke. When I first became friends with you and Sakura-Chan I didn't want to get too close. I didn't want to get to know you and then have you leave me, or start hating me because of what I am. After awhile, I gave up and just let it happen. I ended up becoming friends with you, even though you did end up leaving."

"WE WERE NEVER FRIENDS!"

"Yes we were, Sasuke. I know you know that. We were best friends. I never stopped believing in that, Sasuke. Even after you left, and all you've done, I still consider you my best friend. I won't stop until you acknowledge that."

Naruto waited for almost five minutes before Sasuke finally spoke again, this time in a normal voice. "Why won't you stop? Why won't you leave me alone? Why won't you let me go?"

"Because I believe in you. Not once did I doubt you. I never have and never will. I'll always believe in you, Sasuke. Nothing will change that."

Upon hearing these words Sasuke slowly lifted his head and looked at Naruto. His normal calm mask was gone; in its place was an expression that could only be described as desperate.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"You won't stop? You'll always acknowledge me?"

"Yes."

"You won't forget about me?"

"Nope."

"You won't leave me? Or die on me?" This time Sasuke's whisper was so quiet it was barely audible.

"No."

"Never?"

"Never ever." Naruto chuckled slightly.

Sasuke gazed into Naruto's eyes, looking for any hint of deception. He saw none, only warmth.

Putting his head back in its previous position, Sasuke said quietly "I still hate them. Those people that made that happen to my clan. I can't forgive them."

Naruto was silent for a few moments, thinking about how to word what he wanted to say. He usually just blurted out whatever first came to mind, but he knew this was a very delicate and serious matter. Letting words just tumble out of his mouth didn't seem like a good idea right now. Once he decided he then said just as quietly "When I had thoughts of revenge I never acted on them. Oh, I wanted to, but I didn't. I held back. What allowed me to do that was just… thinking about tomorrow. Not yesterday. I always looked forward, to what was ahead. Not behind me. Whenever I just wanted to cry I knew they'd like that. They liked my pain. So I stopped. I instead used that as strength. Motivation. I got stronger to prove them wrong. I decided that I wouldn't let them rule my life anymore. I didn't want their tight hold on me any longer. Because that's what they wanted. But who were they to control me? Who were they to me to have such influence in my life? Just people I hated. I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing me miserable, so I started smiling. I defied them. Eventually, I realized something. All that time it hadn't been the villagers keeping me from happiness, but myself. By not giving into those people, and not letting them have power over me, I gave myself the chance to be happy." Naruto finally paused to take a much needed breath, then continued. "I think you are too, Sasuke. You're keeping yourself from being happy. The hate in your heart is holding you back. So look forward, Sasuke. Don't deny the past, and completely forget about it, but don't let it hold you back anymore. Use it to help push you forward. If you lose yourself to despair and revenge, the people who did that to your family win. Don't let them win."

Sasuke let the blonde's words sink in. They were so unreliable. So crazy. So weak.

So pretty.

So delicious.

So tempting.

Images of Sasuke's family ran through his mind. _Would they really have wanted me to do all that? Would they wish me unhappiness, just so I could avenge them? Because I.. I am unhappy. _The realization shocked Sasuke enough that it even showed on his face. He remembered his mother saying once _'Sasuke, as long as my family's happy, I'm happy. So as long as you're happy, I'm happy. I'll do anything to make you happy.' _No, Sasuke didn't think they'd wish him ill. His mother had always been a kind woman, and wouldn't have liked knowing the fact that Sasuke had killed innocent people. Even his father wouldn't have wanted him to soil the name of the clan by involving innocents. If they could see him now, they'd probably be really disappointed.

_I'm sorry, mother, father. Even you, Itachi. But I'll make it up to you somehow. _

It was funny how he'd never thought about it from that point of view before. His family was always on his mind, haunting him, being his whole reason for existence. But he'd never taken the time to actually think what they'd want for him. What they'd do if they could see him now.

Sasuke took a deep breath. _Can I trust him? Can I ever be happy again? Can I make it up to my family? _One more look into deep sea that was Naruto's eyes and Sasuke knew he could.

Besides, he really didn't want to let those bastards win, like Naruto had said.

"When did you learn such fancy words, dobe?" Sasuke looked at Naruto and smirked.

"You mean…" Naruto asked nervously, afraid to hope too much.

"…Yeah."

Naruto's smile was so huge it took up most of his face.

* * *

><p>When it was finally dark enough for the stars to shine Naruto announced it was time to go. He grabbed Sasuke's hand and helped him off the ground. They headed for the tunnel that led back down the mountain. Once again, Naruto didn't let go of Sasuke's hand. As they walked at a leisurely pace, a question popped up in Sasuke's head. Once he thought it, he couldn't let it go. He HAD to know the answer.<p>

"Naruto."

"Yeah?"

"What would you have done if I'd said that I wouldn't give Konoha a second chance? That I'd try to destroy it any chance I got?"

Naruto didn't hesitate in his answer at all. "I would have told you 'suck it up, teme! You're not leaving here again. If you try, I'll kick your ass harder than last time!' He said it with a smile in his voice.

"What would you have done if I'd actually attacked Konoha and tried to destroy it?"

Naruto was silent for a long time. So long that Sasuke started to wonder if Naruto had heard him. After what seemed like forever, Naruto finally spoke in a whisper "I would have stopped you. By any means possible. Even if that meant killing you. But if that happened, I'm pretty sure we'd end up killing each other just like I said last time. But if I did manage to survive somehow, I think… I think I would have killed myself."

Sasuke stopped in tracks. Surprised at not feeling Sasuke's hand in his, Naruto turned around to look at where he assumed the pale ninja was.

Sasuke stood there silently for almost ten more seconds before saying "You would have killed yourself? Why do something like that?"

"Because if we couldn't understand each other in this life, then maybe the next one. I'll do anything to get you to understand that I'm your friend, Sasuke, and I care about you. Enough to follow you into the next world if need be. Besides, a ninja that can't even save one friend doesn't deserve the title of Hokage anyway."

Sasuke knew for certain two things:

Naruto was an idiot if he was willing to kill himself for a friend that didn't want his help.

Naruto was an idiot for not giving up on someone like Sasuke.

But he also knew the idiot was 110% pure and honest.

"Ready to go back?" Naruto held out his hand to Sasuke, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Sasuke didn't hesitate in grabbing it.

When their hands touched, somewhere in the depths of Sasuke's mind an image appeared.

Sasuke was a little boy once again, and he sat crying. He rubbed his eyes, trying to stop, but he couldn't. All he could see was darkness. To the left and right, in front and behind, up and down, only darkness. It scared him. He was so lonely… He wished someone would make the darkness go away. Sasuke suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Naruto. The huge grin on his face comforted Sasuke. That, and he was glowing. He was so bright he lit up the darkness until it was all gone. Sasuke stopped crying.

The ice covering Sasuke's heart cracked until it was almost broken.

* * *

><p>When Naruto and Sasuke exited the tunnel they were n a rush. Naruto pushed the boulder back into its rightful place as quick as he could, then put the mask back on Sasuke. Naruto had taken it off for him as soon as they'd reached Naruto's hiding place.<p>

Naruto was supposed to have Sasuke back to the jail by 10 PM. It was currently 9:50. They ran like the wind, Naruto leading Sasuke as best he could with cuffs on the raven's hands. _What is his obsession with holding hands? It's not like I can escape with these cuffs on. _Sasuke thought as he struggled to see where they were going.

They got to the entrance of the building at exactly 10 on the dot, with 0 seconds to spare.

"Whew! We made it! Shit, that was close!" Naruto said in between gasps for breath.

The Anbu guards came and immediately started to lead Sasuke back to his cell, pushing him rather roughly.

"Just a second!" Naruto called, and the Anbu paused. They didn't want Tsunade to yell at them later for not giving Naruto's orders, which were her orders, according to that scroll from earlier. He walked up to Sasuke and put a hand on his shoulder. "Granny told me that your sentencing should come in tomorrow. I requested that I'd be the one to tell you what it is. So see ya tomorrow!"

"Hn. Dobe.", Was Sasuke's only reply.

"Teme! Is that any way to say goodbye to a friend?" Naruto yelled.

"Who said you were my friend?"

"Keep that up and I won't tell you the outcome! Maybe I'll just leave you here to rot!"

"You know they're going to kill me, dobe. Even you can't be stupid enough to think that they'll let me live." He hadn't wanted to admit to himself earlier, but Sasuke was now sure he was going to die.

"They're not going to do that, Sasuke. You're still a part of this village." Naruto smiled, then turned and ran for the exit. But not before calling out "Bye teme!" over his shoulder.

* * *

><p>The next morning was beautiful. The sun shone brightly, the sky was blue, and the birds chirped cheerfully.<p>

Naruto hated it.

_Stupid sun… I forgot to close my blinds… _Naruto groaned, then sat up in bed. He wasn't looking forward to today. Today he'd find out Sasuke's punishment was.

His punishment.

It didn't help that the first thing he'd thought of when he woke up was how the blue sky was almost the exact same color as the eyes of a little girl he'd dreamt about last night.

A little girl that got ripped in half by a very familiar set of red paws.

Naruto shook the image out of his head, trying to forget about it. He proceeded to get dressed quickly so he could head over to the Hokage's office. He didn't stop to eat breakfast; he wasn't hungry anymore.

* * *

><p>"Granny! Granny! So what is it? What's the decision?" Naruto greeted Tsunade as he barged into her office.<p>

Tsunade looked up at Naruto, then quickly looked away. She wasn't looking forward to this conversation.

"Where did you go yesterday? The Anbu said they lost track of you. You're lucky I told them I was sure you knew what you were doing, and they didn't have to go looking for you.", Tsunade said curtly.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks a lot. So did they decide?"

"Yes." She had a slight edge to her voice.

"Then what is it?" Naruto frowned when Tsunade didn't say anything, and when she still didn't after a whole minute; she just stared at him. "I need to know if I'm going to serve it!"

Tsunade took a deep breath, then looked down at her desk. She didn't think she could handle looking at Naruto's face when she told him.

"You will be sent to Anbu headquarters and sentenced to torture for the same length of time Sasuke was gone. For four years you will undergo constant torture by the Anbu."

* * *

><p><strong>Naru-chan's in for some rough times ahead. But that will start in another couple of chapters or so. Please review if you have anything to say!<strong>


	5. Roommates

**Okay, just so ya'll understand me, I want to make this clear: It's going to take a long time for Naruto and Sasuke to get together. I want this fic to be as realistic as possible. Okay, I know the idea of Naruto and Sasuke getting together is unrealistic in and of itself, but please don't pop my bubble. I like my bubble. Sasuke's still kind of unsure about staying in Konoha. That's why the ice around his heart is only cracked. I know he thought once that he could be happy again, but his thoughts are kind of unstable right now. He may think something but then do something completely opposite of what he thought. You'll see that in the future. But hey, that doesn't mean there can't be some... compromising... positions!**

**Disclaimer: If Naruto were mine, and not Masashi Kishimoto-sensei's, it would mix hot guys, Anbu uniforms, and lots of action. All in one. Life would be good.**

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><p>Naruto ran towards Sasuke's cell, excited to tell him the good news. Well, good for Sasuke, anyway.<p>

Not so good for Naruto.

Tsunade had seemed surprised when Naruto hadn't broken down and screamed "No! Please no! Don't make me do it! I don't want to do it anymore!" Or something. He had simply laughed and said "Well, at least it wasn't the death penalty!" After that, the Hokage had started yelling at him about how he doesn't understand anything, he doesn't know what this means for him, and blah blah blah. Naruto had run out the door as fast as he could once Tsunade had started throwing things too.

"Saaaasukeeeeee, I have something to tellllll youuuuuuuu!" Sang Naruto as he approached Sasuke's cell. Like last time, the former nukenin was in the corner furthest from the door. He looked up when he heard Naruto's voice.

"Will you shut up, dobe? You're too loud." Sasuke said as he covered his ears mockingly.

Naruto scowled. "I hold my fate in your hands, teme. Do you really want to piss me off?"

"Yes."

"Fine then! I won't tell you what's going to happen to you… unless you say please."

"Never."

"All right, your choice. I'll just leave you here to rot. Doesn't matter to me. Let me know if you change your mind though." Naruto turned around and began walking back the way he came.

Sasuke looked at the bowl lying next to him. It was supposed to be breakfast, but Sasuke didn't think it was anything a human should eat if they valued their life.

He sighed. "Please." Sasuke muttered.

Naruto paused, then turned around with a devilish grin on his face.

"What was that?"

"Please."

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

"PLEASE." Sasuke barely managed to force out the word this time.

"One more time!"

"Please, Naruto-sama." Sasuke growled, feeling like a little bit of his soul just died.

"Well why didn't you say so? See, I knew you could do it! Was that so hard?" Naruto laughed, despite the daggers Sasuke was currently glaring at him.

"Shut the hell up and tell me, dobe." Sasuke snarled.

"Fine, teme. You're so impatient. Anyways, you're off the hook. The only stipulations are that you can't leave the village for four years, you can only have D—rank missions for four years, and at least two Anbu will be watching you 24/7."

Sasuke glared even more at Naruto. "Don't be stupid. That can't be all there is."

"It's true! Pretty sweet, huh?" Naruto swung a ring of keys around his finger. "So do you want out of here or not?"

"But-"

"Don't worry about it, teme. It's all taken care of." Naruto didn't plan on ever telling Sasuke about his _real _punishment, and how he was going to serve it in the raven's place. He'd sworn Tsunade to absolute secrecy, so that no one else would find out about it either.

"…Just get me out of here." Sasuke was still uncertain, knowing that the little restrictions were too good to be true.

"You mean-"

"I'm not saying it again, dobe! Open the damn door!"

Naruto laughed, but opened the door. Sasuke stepped out, and Naruto used one of the keys on the ring to unlock the handcuffs. Sasuke rubbed his wrists; they were red and painful where the cuffs had dug deep into his skin.

"Let's go!" Naruto yelled cheerfully, despite the fact that he was in a jailhouse. He threw his hands up in the air, as if he were at a party.

"Where to, exactly? I want to go home." At that moment, Sasuke wanted nothing more than to sleep in an actual bed. A jail cell wasn't the most conducive place for sleep.

"Sorry, but you can't." Naruto grinned even more devilishly than before. Sasuke knew that wasn't a good sign.

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke couldn't help the confused look on his face.

"The Uchiha compound's on the outskirts of the village. Granny wants you to stay in the main part of it. It's easier to keep an eye on you."

Sasuke's expression was noticeably sharper, but he just said "Hn. That's fine. So where am I supposed to go?"

"Well, since you have no other place to stay, and Granny wouldn't budge about you being closer, you're staying with me."

"…What? You can't be serious." Sasuke managed to mix shock and anger into one expression, which was rare for him to be so expressive. "When did you decide this?"

"Actually, I didn't. Granny Tsunade did. Do you think I WANT a bastard like you staying with me?" Before she had started throwing things Tsunade had told Naruto that Sasuke was to stay with him until just before Naruto left for Anbu headquarters. That would be exactly one month. "Besides, I found out just before I came here. I didn't have a choice in the matter either."

Sasuke sighed. "So I have no choice?"

"Nope!" Naruto smiled goofily.

"Even though I'd rather die than live with you, if the Hokage orders it, I guess I have to. Let's go." Naruto noted that Sasuke looked like a martyr.

"Follow me, teme." Naruto held out his hand, then looked down at it. "Oh, I guess you won't be needing this anymore." He said as he pulled it back.

"I was starting to think you actually liked holding my hand, dobe." Sasuke smirked.

"Get real, teme. I was just trying to move faster, since you were so slow with that stupid mask on."

"Whatever. Let's get out of here."

"You're not the boss of me!" Naruto walked out anyway, handing the keys back to an Anbu guard on his way out.

On the way to Naruto's house Sasuke couldn't help but notice that his hand felt a little cold.

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><p>When they got to Naruto's house a look of disgust settled upon Sasuke's face. Sasuke had never been to Naruto's house before, and now he knew why. For one, it was really small. Two, there was trash and dirt everywhere. Three, it smelled.<p>

Naruto noticed the Uchiha's expression and said with a sheepish smile "Sorry, I didn't have any time to clean it beforehand. I didn't find out you'd be staying here until just before you did."

"You WILL clean this up. NOW. Or else I walk out of this village right now." Sasuke stated.

Naruto groaned. "Can't I at least eat ramen first? I'm starving!"

"No."

"Oh come on! I'll fix you some too."

"I hate ramen."

"You gotta be hungry. Prison food can't be that good; even ramen's better than that, right?"

Sasuke's stomach chose that exact moment to growl. Naruto raised his eyebrows and smirked.

"…Fine, I'll allow you to feed me." Sasuke said over Naruto's laughter. He did his best not to look embarrassed.

"Thanks so much, teme. What kind do you want?"

"They're all unappetizing, so it doesn't matter."

Sasuke sat down at the kitchen table while Naruto stuck his tongue out at him, then began making the ramen. When it was ready a few minutes later Naruto sat down and began to slurp on a bite. Sasuke just stared at his bowl, not really wanting to eat it. It was only slightly better than prison food in his mind.

"Where do I sleep?" Sasuke asked, the question just popping up in his head.

Naruto sat his chopsticks down and put his hand to his chin. "Hmm. I didn't think about that. I guess I could clear out the training room. Crap, I don't have another futon!" Naruto slapped his palm against his forehead in exasperation.

"Go buy one." Sasuke ordered.

"What? I can't afford a futon!"

"I'm not sleeping on the floor."

Naruto groaned again. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Sasuke, you're such a teme! Fine, I'll go buy one right now. Happy?" He got up and put his shoes on before heading out the door. Sasuke just stared at the door the ramen-otaku had just walked out of, furrowing his brows in confusion. _What was that about? He could have waited until he was done eating. _He looked at Naruto's nearly untouched bowl of ramen. _I thought he was starving._

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><p>Naruto walked casually, his hands in his pockets, while on his way to get the futon. That is, until he was almost knocked over by something coming around the corner. That something had pink hair.<p>

"Hey Sakura-chan! What's up?" Sakura had been away on a mission, so hadn't seen her in almost a week.

"Hey Naruto. Sorry I almost made you fall on your butt. I'm kind of in a rush. Did you hear? SASUKE-KUN'S BACK!" Sakura was grinning from ear to ear.

"Yeah, I know."

"I overheard a pair of Anbu talking about when I entered the village! Let's go talk to the Hokage about it! I can't wait to tell Kakashi-sensei when he gets back from his mission!"

"Nah, I don't need to. You go ahead." Naruto started to walk off, but Sakura grabbed his shoulder.

"What are you talking about? I would have thought you'd be the first to want to know about it." Her eyes held suspicion and surprise all in one. "Or are you just upset that you weren't the one who brought him back?" Sakura smirked now, sure of her assumption.

"Let's just say that I already know all about it." Naruto didn't really want to tell Sakura that it really _was _him who had brought Sasuke back. She'd be pissed that he hadn't tried to contact her to tell her, never mind that Naruto had had no idea where Sakura's mission had been; and that she hadn't gone along, never mind that she had been on a mission at the time. Naruto just didn't want to be strangled to death.

"What do you mean?" Sakura's fake smile appeared on her face, and her grip tightened on Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto sighed. "Sakura-chan, I really have to go."

"I'll let you go when you tell me what you know." Her grip tightened even more.

"Naruto groaned, giving up. "All right, all right. I _was _the one who brought Sasuke back. Now I gotta go!" Sakura's grip had loosened a little in shock, and Naruto took full advantage of that fact to run away as fast as humanly possible.

"Naruto! Get back here!" Sakura yelled after him.

Naruto ran for his life.

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><p>It took them almost five hours, but Naruto and Sasuke got the blonde's tiny place cleaned up. Naruto didn't shut up the entire time. His cries of "Are we almost done, teme?" and "Isn't this good enough, teme?" or "You're such a prick, teme!" almost drove Sasuke insane. When it was all done he just wanted to pass out on his new futon, if just to get away from Naruto's annoying voice for several hours. He was just about to drift off to sleep when a scream came from Naruto's room that sounded like a certain loudmouth ninja. It was followed by heavy panting, then Naruto gasping "Shit. It was just a dream. A dream." Naruto sat up in bed, and put his head between his knees, like he usually did after a nightmare.<p>

_I couldn't tell this time. It was so real… It's like every night they get more real. I can't even tell that they're dreams anymore… _Naruto knew it was true, and that scared him. When he had watched several men running forward, only to be impaled by the same amount of red tails, he had thought it was real. That it was actually happening. _Okay, just calm down _and_ go back to sleep. They usually don't come twice in one night, right? You can do it! Just don't think about it! _Trying to force the images out of his brain, Naruto lay back down in bed, and worked on trying to steady his breathing. It was still quite heavy. _Yeah, easy to say… _Naruto knew he wouldn't be getting much sleep that night.

But what he didn't know was that Sasuke was a very, very light sleeper.

DAYS UNTIL NARUTO SERVES SENTENCE: 30

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><p><strong>Okay, so I'm suddenly feeling like this chapter and the last chapter are crap. Please review and let me know your thoughts. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!<strong>


	6. The End Of Nightmares

**I just wanted to say that there's a reason that I write about seemingly insignificant things. It's to show how Naruto and Sasuke are getting closer. Which eventually leads to their LOVE! It'll be awhile though. But don't lose hope!**

**Oh yeah! It's the longest chapter ever! Praise me! Please! I worked really hard on it! I want some love for it! Pretty please?**

**Disclaimer: I think I'm going to go raid Masashi Kishimoto-sensei's house to steal Naru. Anyone want to come with? I could use some back up!**

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><p>From that day on, Naruto and Sasuke were always together, whether they liked it or not.<p>

Tsunade had ordered Naruto to accompany Sasuke on all his missions to keep an eye on him. Naruto had argued that he wanted tougher missions, but shut up when Tsunade growled "You wanted him back, so here he is." Naruto knew he couldn't argue anymore, lest he lose a limb.

The first morning of the two living together was an awkward one. Sasuke greeted Naruto that morning by waking him up in bed and stating "You are going grocery shopping. I am NOT eating ramen again."]

Naruto groaned, then blinked one of his cerulean eyes open. "Ugh, teme, it's too early for this crap. I'm going back to sleep." He closed his eye again and rolled over so as not to face Sasuke.

Sasuke's response was to kick Naruto off the bed.

"AAH! Dammit, teme! I'm going to get you for this! What's the big deal?" Naruto screeched as he rubbed his head, which had hit the floor quite hard. It was throbbing.

"I'm hungry. Like I said, I refuse to eat ramen again. You need to go out and get groceries. Now."

"You're such a fucking princess!" Naruto whined, still sitting and rubbing his sore head. "Can't it wait until later?"

"No." Sasuke said with a sense of finality.

"You're such an ass!" Naruto yelled as he stood up. Sasuke saw that all Naruto had on was a pair boxers, but the blonde had gone to bed in pajamas. He must have gotten hot and kicked them off after the nightmare.

"Just hurry up and get dressed, dobe, so you can leave."Sasuke looked away, because he realized he had been staring.

"I'm not your servant!" Naruto snapped, but proceeded to get dressed anyway. When he was ready a minute later he walked past Sasuke and headed for the door. He paused when he realized Sasuke wasn't following him. If he thought he was getting the groceries alone, he had another thing coming. Naruto turned around and grabbed Sasuke's wrist, then pulled the pale ninja out the door with him.

"You could have told me you wanted me to come with you, dobe. Or are those words to too big for you?" Sasuke taunted, but secretly didn't mind that Naruto wanted him to come along.

"Shut up teme! How the hell am I supposed to know what you like to eat?" Naruto let go of Sasuke's hand when he realized the raven was still following him.

As they reached the main part of the village Sasuke started to notice people staring. And not just staring, but whispering as well.

"He's back!"

"I can't believe it!"

"How dare he show his face here again?"

"He's killed innocent people!"

"He's a murderer!"

"He's going to attack the city again, I bet!"

The stares had abruptly turned into glares. Suddenly, Sasuke felt an empty can of something hit his back. So it had started. Sasuke was going to just keep walking, and ignore what had happened, but was stopped when he bumped into Naruto's back.

"Okay, who threw that?" Naruto yelled as he searched the crowd for the guilty party. "If I ever find who did that, they're getting a punch to the face!"

A man stepped forward slightly. His voice was full of accusation when he spoke. "Why is the hero of the village defending this scum? You're the one who brought him back, right? You should hate him more than any of us."

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he stared down at the man. His voice was colder than Sasuke had ever remembered hearing it. "Don't say that. Ever. And don't you ever say anything bad about Sasuke ever again. He's a good guy."

The entire time, Sasuke just stared wide-eyed at Naruto. He'd been expecting his. He knew that as a deserter of the village, the villagers wouldn't take too kindly to his return. But what he hadn't expected was Naruto sticking up for him like that. As usual, Sasuke's first reaction was that of anger. _What does he think I am? Some girl that needs to be protected? _But that anger quickly dissolved, and was replaced with an emotion Sasuke couldn't quite place. It may have been… gratitude, something Sasuke didn't feel often. Not that Sasuke would ever admit to feeling thankful towards such an idiot.

"Naruto," Sasuke said sharply "Let's go." He grabbed Naruto's wrist this time, and pulled him away from the crowd that had gathered.

"But I want to know who did that!" Naruto whined, sounding very childish. "Yeah, you deserted the village, and tried to kill me a few times, but you don't deserve that. No one does." Naruto remembered when he was the one having trash thrown at him, and when the glares had been aimed at him.

Sasuke merely said "I do deserve it. I accept it. So just let it go." What annoyed Sasuke the most was the way Naruto had stuck up for him, and the way he had acted when the man had called him the hero of the village. Shouldn't Naruto be happy to be called that? Wasn't that what he had wanted since he became a ninja?

Naruto puffed his cheeks up, looking like a child. "No! I don't care what you say, I won't stand for it! No one deserves to be looked at with such hate!"

Sasuke kept looking forward, lost in his thoughts. _I wonder… is he speaking from past experience? I know people used to hate him. _Although he'd never seen it firsthand, Sasuke now knew the villagers had resented Naruto for what he held inside him. Sasuke was starting to think some people still did. _Wait, why does it matter? He's just a dobe._ Sasuke' lips turned downward even more than usual, showing his dissatisfaction with his train of thought. "Regardless, it's my problem, not yours. I don't want you causing more problems, so just shut up about it." As they continued on in silence the stares never stopped. Before long the entire land of fire would know that Uchiha Sasuke was back in Konoha. When they reached the marker three minutes later, Sasuke was getting more pissed. It hadn't taken long for the constant staring to get under his skin.

"Um, Sasuke? You can let go of me now." Sasuke turned around to see that he was still holding Naruto's wrist rather tightly. When had that happened?

"Oh. Yeah." Was all Sasuke could manage to say, abruptly letting the warmth go. He hadn't even realized he'd still been holding onto it. What was wrong with him?

"Whatever. So what does the great Uchiha Sasuke like to eat?" Naruto smirked as he stepped into the marked ahead of Sasuke. It was busy, with several dozen people already there this early in the morning. Great, more people to stare at them.

"I don't really care. Just not natto, ramen, or sweet things." Sasuke walked over to the vegetables and began examining which ones to buy.

"Ew. Vegetables." Naruto shuddered when he saw that Sasuke had a carrot in his hand. Sasuke shot him a pointed look, then went back to deciding whether to buy the carrot. Naruto wasn't looking forward to the next month of meals. On second thought, it didn't matter that much anyway, considering he'd only been able to eat at most one meal a day. That's if he was lucky. He couldn't force himself to eat more than that, because whenever he tried to put food in his mouth an intense pain started in his stomach. He tried not to think about it too much. He just hoped Sasuke wouldn't get suspicious when he didn't eat much at meals, though.

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><p>On the way back Naruto felt a tap on his shoulder that turned out to be Shikamaru. He had on his usual Chunin vest and bored expression. "Oh. Hey Shikamaru. What's up?" Naruto smiled and raised a hand in greeting.<p>

"Nothing. I just wanted to see how that troublesome mission turned out for you." His question was aimed at Naruto, but looked at Sasuke as he said it. Shikamaru was analyzing Sasuke in a way only Shikamaru can.

"Fine, I guess. The bastard has to stay with me, though. I never did thank you for your help with that mission though, so thanks, man."

"I see. Well, it wasn't TOO troublesome, so it's okay. So, Sasuke-kun," Shikamaru turned to Sasuke again "How are you? How's big bad old Konoha treating you? Still harboring thoughts of revenge?" Shikamaru made sure to add the –kun this time when speaking directly to Sasuke face-to-face. Naruto had told him once that Sakura, trying to get closer to Sasuke, had tried leaving out the honorific. The glare Sasuke had given her was so intense that Sakura almost cried, and hadn't been able to Sasuke for almost a week. No one knew why Naruto was the only one who could call Sasuke by his name.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Shikamaru. "Fine. And it's none of you business." Shikamaru snorted in response. Sasuke didn't like the way Shikamaru was looking at him, as if he was just waiting for him to start killing the villagers at any moment.

Shikamaru walked over to Naruto and whispered in his ear "Watch out, Naruto. I'm serious. This one's troublesome. But I suppose that's what you like about him, right?" Sasuke watched the whole thing with his lips turned downward in distaste. His brows furrowed when Naruto's cheeks reddened in a blush, and when the blonde yelled "Shut up, Shikamaru! That's not it, and you know it! On second thought, you don't know anything!" Shikamaru just grumbled "Sure, sure." As he sauntered away.

_What was that about? Not that I care._ Sasuke reminded himself. He watched as Naruto strode towards him, then they continued walking side by side.

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><p>"You know how to cook, right?" Naruto asked Sasuke as the raven began unpacking their purchases. Well, Naruto's purchases, technically, since he'd paid for them all. Sasuke didn't have money at the moment, so he planned on starting missions as soon as possible.<p>

"No, dobe, I bought all this food because I thought you could cook it for me." Sasuke said sarcastically as he continued to pull leeks out of the bag and onto the table.

"Oh my God! Uchiha Sasuke used sarcasm! What's the world coming to?" Naruto cried in mock horror, and put a shocked expression on his face while looking over Sasuke's shoulder.

"Shut up, dobe, and let me cook the damn food." Sasuke began chopping some of the leeks, then added "Make yourself useful for once. Chop up the carrots. You can do that much, right?"

"Of course I can! I can do it faster than you ever could! Just you watch! Never underestimate Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto hollered as he grabbed a knife and furiously began chopping said carrots.

The two of them worked in silence until all the vegetables were in small pieces. Sasuke then cooked them, as he had many times before. He added some soy sauce and some meat before going back to stirring. Once the food was finally done cooking he grabbed some bowls to put the food in them. The entire time Naruto just stared at Sasuke, feeling slightly like a husband watching his wife work. He had a brief image in his mind of Sasuke in a frilly apron cooking. He blinked. _Oh my god. I am never going to get that image out of my head. I think I'm going to go blind. _

Sasuke noticed Naruto staring at him, then snapped "What?" Naruto just shook his head, then looked away. The food was now ready, and on the table. Naruto just stared at his bowl much like Sasuke had stared at his yesterday.

"What is this?" All Naruto could see was vegetables, with a few strips of meat. The ratio of vegetables to meat was not how Naruto liked it.

"Stir fry." Sasuke stated, then began to eat.

Naruto stared at his bowl some more.

"Eat it." Sasuke growled. He'd gone to a lot of trouble to make enough for two, cooking for that damn dobe as he just sat there and watched, and he'd be damned if the food he made was going to waste.

"I hate vegetables." Naruto puffed his cheeks out like a child.

"I don't care. EAT IT." Sasuke shot an icy glare at the blonde across from him.

"No."

"Eat it or I shove it down your throat."

"No. I dare you to try." Naruto's eyes shone with determination; excited with the arrival of a new challenge.

Sasuke abruptly got up from his chair and walked over to Naruto's. He picked up a piece of carrot with the chopsticks in Naruto's bowl, then attempted to stick them in Naruto's mouth. Naruto dodged. Sasuke's hand kept moving towards Naruto's mouth, and Naruto kept dodging. That is, until a particularly sharp swerve of Sasuke's hand made Naruto dive to the left, which made him lose his balance. He fell of his chair, knocking Sasuke down too in the process. Sasuke took a split second to realize what happened, but recovered faster than Naruto. He took full advantage of the fact Naruto had his eyes closed and was currently rubbing his head (which he had hurt for the second time in one day, so it hurt worse than before) by grabbing the blonde's shoulders and attempting to shove it into his throat. Naruto moved his head to the right just in time, and began flailing his arms and legs. A kick landed on Sasuke's chest, and that annoyed the raven to a whole new level. Sasuke glared daggers at Naruto, and with a growl straddled the blonde.

"Get off me!" Naruto yelled, knowing that in this position Sasuke had the advantage. Not just that, but the second Sasuke touched him his heart started pounding. Faster than it ever had before. _Gah! Why is this happening? It's Sasuke! Just Sasuke! Shut up you stupid heart! Sasuke better not hear you! _If Sasuke heard just how fast Naruto's heart was beating the blonde would just die. He didn't know why it was happening, but he knew it was embarrassing. _Please don't let him hear, please don't let him hear, please don't let him hear! _Naruto chanted. He kicked and moved around as much as possible, but couldn't throw Sasuke off. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's chin and tried to force Naruto's mouth open. Naruto struggled frantically, sure that he was blushing, and didn't want Sasuke to see; causing Sasuke to subconsciously lean closer to Naruto, their faces only inches apart.

That's exactly when Sakura barged in.

"NARUTO! WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT SASUKE WAS STAYING WITH YOU? I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" The door slammed loudly as Sakura finished her sentence, startling the two on the kitchen floor. Sasuke fell forward, grazing his lips against Naruto's. At that exact moment Sakura saw them on the floor, and immediately made the assumption anyone else would make as well. She blushed, then gave a high pitched squeal before running out of the house.

Sakura didn't know exactly what she had just seen, but she did know one thing: She wished she could have taken a picture.

Naruto and Sasuke were frozen for a few more seconds before Naruto groaned "Oh god, it looks like we were… she thinks we were… Gaah!"

Sasuke didn't say anything; he just shoved the piece of carrot into Naruto's mouth.

The sound of Naruto choking made him smirk.

* * *

><p>In the end, Naruto gave up and choked down as much as he could of Sasuke's cooking. Admittedly, it wasn't much, barely half a bowl. The pain in Naruto's stomach grew to be too much. It was weird though, because he still got hungry as often as he had before the pain started. It was just than when he lifted a piece of food to his mouth, a sharp pain emitted throughout his abdomen. Naruto didn't want to see a doctor, because he was pretty sure he knew the reason why, and it wasn't something medicine could cure.<p>

Just as Sasuke was heading into his room that night to sleep, he suddenly stopped while still facing in that direction. He spoke quietly, almost as if he didn't want Naruto to hear what he was saying. "You better not wake me up two nights in a row with your screaming, dobe."

Naruto froze on his bed, and immediately grew pale. "Oh, did you hear that? Sorry. I'll try not to disturb your beauty sleep, teme." His voice shook, which Sasuke hadn't been expecting. He turned around to face Naruto, his brows furrowed.

Naruto looked down, his cerulean eyes not as bright as a few seconds ago. There was something in his eyes, a dark look. As if he weren't looking at what was right in front of him, but at something no one else could see. Sasuke knew that look, but had never expected to see it on the hyper ninja's face. It was a look that could only be the haunting of old memories. Memories you'd rather forget, but couldn't, no matter how hard you tried. Sasuke had lots of those.

"Nightmares?" Sasuke said it more as a statement than a question.

"…Yeah." Naruto kept looking down, reluctant to talk to anyone about it. They were his problems and no one else's.

"I... have those too…sometimes."

Naruto finally looked up at Sasuke, his eyes wide. "Really?" Sasuke nodded. "Do you know anything that helps?"

"Not really. I've had them for a long time, and there are very few nights that I don't have them."

"Really? When is that?" Naruto looked at Sasuke so expectantly that Sasuke couldn't help but feel obligated to answer. He thought for awhile, and realized something. Whenever he slept in the same room as Naruto, there were no nightmares.

"…Not sleeping alone." Sasuke said apprehensively. It was the truth, but embarrassing to say out loud. He looked away as he said it.

"Oh… I see…Well…Thanks." Naruto looked away as well, embarrassed too. He didn't like asking Sasuke for help, and hated thanking him even more. They were still rivals, after all.

"Good night, teme." Naruto shut the light out.

"…Night." Sasuke said quietly, and headed into his 'room'.

Forty-five minutes later, however, Sasuke was woken up by Naruto's muffled screams. It seemed like he'd slept with his head buried in a pillow to soften the sound. The raven sighed, not wanting to do what he was about to do, but knowing he was going to do it anyway. He stood up slowly, grabbed his futon, and began dragging it into the other room. He set it right next to Naruto's bed, then shook the figure occupying it. As he'd thought, Naruto had slept on his stomach with his face buried in a pillow. The occasional moan was muffled. The blonde also moved around in his sleep, fitfully.

"Dobe, wake up." Sasuke shook Naruto a little more. When nothing happened, he shook harder. Getting irritated, Sasuke yelled "Naruto, wake the hell up!" Hearing his name, Naruto bolted up in bed with a yelp.

"Wha-ha-Sasuke?" Naruto looked around with eyes wide in fear. "What's going on?"

Sasuke looked down at Naruto. "You were having a nightmare, dobe. I told you not to wake me up again."

Naruto frowned, and then scowled. "I can't help it. Do you think I want these, teme? Do you think I wake you up on purpose?" Sasuke noted the usually sunny ninja looked pale again, and his eyes had that same pained look to them.

"Just go back to sleep, teme. I won't disturb your beauty sleep again. I know you really need it." Naruto snorted and then lay back down so that he wasn't facing Sasuke anymore.

Sasuke glared, but said "Fine, dobe." He took a step and he was at his futon; he'd laid it close to Naruto's bed. He laid down and covered up, ready to fall back asleep. At least, until Naruto sat up again and said blankly "Um, Sasuke what are you doing?"

"Sleeping." Sasuke replied without opening his eyes.

"Right there?" Naruto sounded confused.

"Yes, right here. Now shut up." The irritation in the raven's voice was obvious.

"And why the hell would that be?" Now Naruto was irritated too. Was this some kind of joke?

"Because you're obviously too much of a chicken to sleep by yourself." Sasuke said bluntly.

"What the hell are you talking about? I've lived by myself my entire life! Screw you, teme! Go back to your room!" Naruto was really pissed off now. He'd apologized for waking the bastard up, what more did he want?

"You can't even sleep without screaming. That's a chicken to me."

"What makes you think I need your help?" Naruto growled.

"When we were on that mission a few years ago, when we had to transport some treasure to a different land. That night I couldn't sleep, and then you told me something: 'If you're sad, don't be sad alone. If you're happy, don't be happy alone. If you're in the dark, don't be in the dark alone. If you're in pain, don't be in pain alone. No matter how strong your emotions are, don't make yourself face them alone. Use your friends to help you get through them.'"

Naruto's eyes widened. "Oh yeah! I remember that now! Heh, you were pretty pathetic, teme!" Naruto snickered at the memory.

"I think whimpering is pretty pathetic if you ask me." Sasuke countered with a smirk.

"I WAS NOT WHIMPERING!" Naruto shouted defensively.

"You were too. Now shut the hell up and sleep." Sasuke heard Naruto mutter to himself "Was not, damn teme." Before lying back down.

Naruto sighed. Despite his tiredness, Sasuke turned over to face Naruto's bed. His back was to Sasuke, but he could tell the blonde was tense. Groaning internally, Sasuke did something the usuratonkachi had done for him all those years ago.

He grabbed Naruto's hand.

Naruto jerked slightly, before turning around. His mouth opened slightly, he asked "What are you…"

"Trying to get some sleep. Now for the last time, shut up, dobe."

Naruto was silent for several seconds before stating "Your hand's cold."

Sasuke snorted, but closed his eyes. A long time passed, but Naruto eventually said, quietly, a part of him hoping that Sasuke might not hear "Thank you, Sasuke." Before closing his eyes as well. Although the position was a little awkward, especially for Sasuke, Naruto felt more comfortable than he had in a long time. He just hoped, once again, that Sasuke wouldn't hear his heart pounding much faster than it should.

Naruto's voice was the last thing Sasuke heard before drifting off to sleep. Like usual, he dreamt of the past. But this time, it wasn't a nightmare. He didn't see images of blood, or his parent's bodies splayed before him. No, this dream wasn't a nightmare.

It was a precious memory.

* * *

><p>"<em>No! No way! I am not sharing a room with that teme!"<em>

_This was the tenth time Naruto had said that, and if he said it one more time, Sasuke was going to kill him._

_Cell Number Seven was on a mission to transport a national treasure to a neighboring country. It was a C-rank mission, so it should be easy, especially for someone of Sasuke's level. The only thing hard about this mission was the loudmouth dobe currently walking next to him._

"_I told you, Naruto, I don't have a choice. I have to have a room at the inn all to myself, to guard the treasure. Sakura has to have a room to herself as well. I can only afford three rooms, so you'll have to deal with it." Kakashi-sensei sounded like he was getting irritated as well. It didn't take long with this dobe._

_Sakura smirked, pleased to have a whole room to herself. It was good to be the only girl._

_Naruto mumbled to himself. This was the first time they'd be staying at inn for an overnight mission. They usually camped outside, but the inn they were heading to was really famous. Kakashi-sensei had been generous, and said he'd treat for it this time. Naruto knew he should be happy, but he just couldn't bring himself to be. The thought of being stuck in the same room as that teme, Sasuke, made it impossible to be anything else but pissed off._

_An hour later, they reached the inn. A plump lady took them to their rooms at once, since Kakashi-sensei had made reservations. It was late at night, and everyone was tired. Sasuke just wanted to go to sleep. He got his sleeping clothes out of his overnight bag, and immediately began changing. He didn't care that the dobe was there, he had never felt shy in front of him for some reason. Must be because they were on the same team. Besides, the dobe had never felt modest in front of him either, so he wasn't the only one. They had bathed together several times now, and even then he made no attempt at modesty. Whatever._

_Seeing Sasuke changing, Naruto decided to do the same as well. Not that he wanted to copy Sasuke, but he was pretty worn out. All that walking was exhausting. He got his pajamas out of his backpack and began undressing. Sasuke was just a teme, so he didn't feel the need to try and change in private. They were both guys, and on the same team._

_A few minutes later, when they were both ready to sleep, Sasuke turned the lights out. Naruto laid down in his futon, and tried to ignore the fact that the teme was lying right next to him. The room was very small and plain, just barely big enough to fit the two futons and a table._

_It didn't take long for either of them to fall asleep. Exhaustion did that to a person. That's why Naruto was so pissed when he was suddenly awoken by a kick to the butt._

_What the hell? Naruto thought. He sat up and saw that Sasuke must have kicked him in his sleep. He was moving around fitfully, with his eyes still closed. Every now and then he'd open his mouth, as if he were screaming, but no sound came out. Naruto watched for a couple of minutes before lying down again. If the teme was having nightmares, it wasn't his problem. That is, until he got kicked in the thigh, painfully._

_Okay! That was enough! Naruto moved over to Sasuke's futon, and began shaking him. The raven didn't respond, he just kept kicking._

"_If you kick me again, I am SO kicking you back!" Naruto said to himself. He continued to shake Sasuke, to no effect. _

"_Sasuke! Sasuke, wake up! Wake up so you can stop kicking me!" Hearing his voice, Sasuke finally opened his eyes. He stilled when he saw it was only Naruto leaning over him._

"_Huh? What's going on?" Sasuke asked, still feeling the effect of his nightmare._

"_You were having a nightmare. You were kicking me, so I had no choice but to wake you up. Now stop kicking me, or I'm kicking you back." Naruto explained, then went back to his own futon and crawled under the covers._

_Sasuke stayed like that, just sitting up in bed, for a few more minutes before lying back down as well. In several more minutes he was asleep again and back in his nightmare, right where he had left off. _

"_Sasuke!" Blood… so much blood…_

"_Sasuke!" Why? Why was there so much blood?_

"_SASUKE!" Someone was calling his name… Who?_

"_Sasuke, if you don't wake up right this minute, I am so kicking you ass!" Naruto? _

_Sasuke was abruptly shoved out of his dream when Naruto fulfilled his promise of kicking Sasuke in the behind._

"_Oww! What the hell, dobe?" Sasuke yelled as he opened his eyes. Oh yeah, he'd been having the nightmare again. He'd gone right back into it._

"_You were having another stupid nightmare! You keep kicking me! So stop it!" Naruto growled, and then went back to under his covers on the futon. A few seconds later Sasuke followed suit, since the kick had made him fall out of his futon._

_Sasuke pulled the covers around himself as tight as possible. He was cold. Really cold. He was shivering. Why was he so cold? Sasuke felt himself slipping back into sleep, and right back into the dream again._

_That is, until he felt a finger poking his shoulder._

"_What do you want, dobe?" Sasuke said sharply. He wasn't in the mood for Naruto's tantrums right now. The nightmares always put him into a worse mood than usual._

"_Not that I care, but why are you shaking? You're not sick or something, are you? 'cause if you are, I don't want to catch it." Naruto was sitting Indian-style on top of his futon, intently watching Sasuke._

"_It's none of your business. Go back to sleep." Sasuke glared at Naruto with ice in his eyes. _

"_Hey! I'm just trying to help! You don't need to get all prissy, teme!" Naruto huffed, then went back under the covers. He turned over so as not to face Sasuke, and crossed his arms in annoyance. A scowl was on his face, he knew, because he was so damn irritated! Why wouldn't the teme just have a normal conversation with him for once? Was he just incapable of it?_

_A minute later, Sasuke started shaking again. He just couldn't help it. The nightmares always left him with a chill afterwards. He opened his eyes and saw that Naruto was staring at him again. _

"_What?" Sasuke snapped. If that dobe started making fun of him, he was not responsible for his actions._

"_You can talk about it you know. If you want to." The statement caught Sasuke so off guard that he couldn't stop his eyes from widening._

"_Huh?"_

"_I'm saying that if you want someone to talk to, I'll listen. Not that I care, but if it will let me sleep, I'll do it." Naruto actually looked…embarrassed._

"…_Not that it's any of your business, but it's nightmares about my family. I don't really want to talk about it." Sasuke saw how Naruto looked a little hurt, and sighed. "I see blood. Lots and lots of blood. Then I see my family. Their bodies all covered in blood. Then I see my brother, taunting me. He's covered in their blood. I have it every night." Sasuke watched as Naruto's face fell. He didn't know why he had told the dobe all that, it wasn't like him. He just… felt like it. It was weird._

"_Oh… I see… I have nightmares too, sometimes. I don't really remember them, but I know they're bad. I wake up from them and I can't breathe for awhile." Naruto confessed, since Sasuke had done the same. He was actually quite surprised that the raven had done that. He didn't know why, but that made him kind of… happy, that Sasuke trusted him that much._

_Sasuke nodded, a little surprised that someone as bright as Naruto would have nightmares. He knew the feeling of not being able to catch your breath after waking up. It was horrible._

"_When I told the Third Hokage about it once, he told me something. It sounds kind of stupid, but I guess it's kind of true. 'If you're sad, don't be sad alone. If you're happy, don't be happy alone. If you're in the dark, don't be in the dark alone. If you're in pain, don't be in pain alone. No matter how strong your emotions are, don't make yourself face them alone. Use your friends to help you get through them.' So Sasuke… You don't have to face those nightmares alone. I'm your teammate, so I'll help you." Naruto said it quietly, a little embarrassed._

_Sasuke stared at him, his eyes widening again, despite himself. No one had ever said anything like that to him before. Strangely, it made him… happy. Why? Why did just one sentence from the dobe make his heart beat faster? Why did it fill him with such joy? Sasuke didn't quite know how to respond to that, so he just looked at Naruto and nodded. _

_Not knowing what else to say, Naruto laid back down. Both genin were on their backs now. After a few seconds, Naruto looked over at Sasuke again. He saw he was shaking again. When he saw that, Naruto's body seemed to move on its own._

_Naruto grabbed onto Sasuke's hand tightly._

_Sasuke opened his eyes, startled at the sudden contact. He stared at Naruto, who was blushing slightly._

"_Shut up!" Naruto said, even though Sasuke hadn't opened his mouth. "You're cold right? The nightmares do that to you right? Me too. So… If this will help you fall asleep… If you start falling back into the nightmare, just focus on my hand. Squeeze it, and I'll pull you out of any nightmare."_

_Sasuke raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything. He was too embarrassed, and was sure he was blushing too. He gave Naruto's hand a squeeze, to say thanks, and closed his eyes. Naruto must have understood, because he closed his eyes as well._

_Both boys were sure the other could hear their heart pounding, but hoped that wasn't the case._

_The next morning Sasuke opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Naruto's back. He was crushed against it! He moved away from Naruto as fast as he could, as if the blonde has somehow burned him. But he was stopped short when Naruto's hand gripped his own tightly. Oh yeah, they had fallen asleep holding hands. Sasuke blushed slightly at the memory. He must have gotten cold again during the night and subconsciously went closer to Naruto for warmth. That was so…. Embarrassing! Even Uchiha Sasuke got embarrassed sometimes, not that he would ever show it or admit to it. Sasuke sat there awhile, and stared at their intertwined hands. He couldn't help himself; he did something he wouldn't be caught dead doing if anyone could see him._

_He smiled. For the first time in a long time, he was happy. He was actually glad that he taken the risk and protected such a dobe in the Land of Waves not so long ago. He'd do it again if he had to._

From that moment on, whenever Naruto and Sasuke had to share a room, Sasuke didn't have nightmares, and Naruto complained a little less. Just a little.

* * *

><p>A figure appeared in a cloud of smoke. The room was dark. The only light came from the moon, which the window behind a big wooden desk allowed to spread throughout the room.<p>

"Hokage-sama. To what do I owe this pleasure?" The figure spoke in a low voice, to make absolutely sure no one would overhear the two speaking. At this hour, though, no one in their right minds would be in the building.

The figure in the desk spoke just as quietly. "Kakashi, you know exactly why you were summoned. Don't act stupid, it pissed me off."

Hatake Kakashi smiled politely beneath his dark mask. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Tsunade snorted. "Whatever. Let's get down to business. As I'm sure you know, you're troublesome student has come back to the village. You're loudmouth student was the one who brought him back."

"Why yes, I did hear something like that. What about it?"

"I want you to keep an eye on him. And Naruto too, since I'm making sure they be together as much as possible."

"And why is that? They're both big boys now."

"Three of our Anbu members were killed right outside of sound. Near the warehouse Sasuke was found at."

Kakashi raised his eyebrows. "You mean…?"

Tsunade nodded. "Yes. The Akatsuki is making their move."

"But for who? Naruto or Sasuke?"

Tsunade glared at Kakashi, because they both knew very well that she didn't have the answer.

DAYS UNTIL NARUTO LEAVES FOR SENTENCE: 29

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><p><strong>Okay, so the next chapter's a Cell Number Seven reunion. It'll be the last before Naru leaves. Poor Naru... the things I'm going to put him through... I cant' wait!<strong>

**Oh yeah, I just want to say something else: Please Review! I would really apprecite it! I don't mean to beg, but... I will if I have to. Who know, it may make me write faster! :wink wink: It's just that last chapter I got an overwhelming amount of NOTHING! So please, please, with a cherry on top, please review!**


	7. Reunion

**LONGEST CHAPTER EVER! It took me forever to write this! I hope ya'll like it...**

**In an act of shameless self promotion, I would like to mention the lemon that I wrote. I was bored, and Naruto and Sasuke are going to take a very long time to get together, so I decided to write one. If anyone would like to check it out, please do. **

**ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE BOTTOM, PLEASE READ IT!**

**Disclaimer: I forgot, I actually do own Naruto! A whole bunch of them! You see, every night I sleep on a bunch of Naru's faces on my pillow case! Please don't tell Masashi Kishimoto-sensei though. I don't want him to take Naru away from me!**

* * *

><p>"I think it's time, Sasuke"<p>

Hearing Naruto call his name, Sasuke looked up from the book he was reading. On NARUTO'S bed. "Time for what?"

"Time for you to meet up with the rest of Cell Number Seven. And get off my bed." Naruto scowled. Sasuke had taken to lounging around on Naruto's bed after the first night of them sleeping in the same room. After that night Sasuke had never moved his futon. Since that night, Naruto hadn't had any nightmares, so he wasn't complaining. He just thought it was a little strange how… normal… Sasuke had been acting ever since he'd started living with Naruto.

"Hn." Was all Sasuke said before looking back down at his book. It's not that he wasn't paying attention; he just didn't know what to say. Naruto knew that, and glared at him for a second before walking away, leaving Sasuke alone with his thoughts, just how he liked it.

At least, he used to.

Nowadays, he didn't mind not being alone. He actually found he enjoyed listening to the blonde chatter on about unimportant things. He enjoyed hearing his laughter. He enjoyed seeing his blue eyes. He enjoyed sparring with him. He enjoyed fighting with him. He enjoyed having someone to talk to. He enjoyed having someone to care about him. Overall, he just enjoyed living with Naruto.

Sasuke didn't like that fact.

It irritated him. It made him feel weak. So that's why he barely acknowledged to himself that he had these feelings before burying them deep into his subconscious. He didn't want to deal with these newfound emotions. They would just make him weak.

Sasuke forced his mind to go back to the matter at hand. The dobe must be rubbing off on him if his mind was starting to wander that much.

Sasuke would never admit it, even under the threat of torture, but he was a little nervous about the thought of meeting his old teammates. He honestly had no idea how they'd react to his return. Would they be happy to see him again? Or, would they be angry that he'd had the audacity to think things could go back to the way they were? Because Sasuke didn't think that at all. He knew things were never going to be the same between them ever again. He'd known that when he'd left the village four years ago. He'd wanted to break the bonds they'd had with all his heart.

But now, he admitted, he wanted those bonds. He wanted to re-forge them, if it was at all possible. There was only one reason for this, and Sasuke hated to think it.

Naruto.

Naruto was the main reason for Sasuke's change of heart. Naruto wanted the four of them to be a team again, and Sasuke felt like he owed it to the blonde to at least try. Even if it killed him.

"So how about we meet them tonight for dinner?" Naruto called over his shoulder, as he washed the dishes from this morning. Sasuke threatened him with exposing some of his dirty secrets if Naruto didn't keep up with the housekeeping. Blackmail worked wonders in Naruto's work ethic. As a result, the house was spotless from top to bottom. Sasuke even helped sometimes, so it wasn't like Naruto was a maid or anything. Strangely, he didn't mind living with Sasuke as much as he thought he would.

"Hn." Sasuke replied, in Sasukenese. Naruto took that as a 'Yes, that would be fine, thank you.'

"How about at Ichiraku's tonight, for dinner?" the thought of ramen made his mouth water. Sasuke hadn't let him have ramen in any shape or form ever since he'd moved in. Naruto felt like he was going crazy with withdrawal. Sasuke was worse than any wife!

"Hn." Naruto took that as 'I suppose, just this once.' And raised his fist into the air. Sasuke must be wrapped up in his book again if he was just giving one word answers like he used to. The raven had been strangely more communicative these past few days. Everyone in the village was currently ignoring him. Sasuke hadn't spoken to anyone but Naruto in over a week. It bothered him that it didn't bother him. Sasuke sighed, realizing that nothing he did made any sense anymore. He blamed it on spending too much time with the dobe.

* * *

><p>It was with a heavy heart that Sasuke trudged alongside Naruto on their way to Ichiraku's that night.<p>

He didn't let it show, of course, his calm mask was still perfectly in place, but he was nervous. The last time he'd seen Sakura he had tried to kill her. The last time he'd seen Kakashi he had tried to kill him. Actually, the last time he had seen Naruto before getting captured, he had tried to kill him too. Sasuke was surrounded by former enemies.

When… when had it become so hard to think of them that way?

Probably when he'd looked into eyes so blue, he thought he would drown in them.

Ichiraku came into view. Despite himself, Sasuke's heart started to speed up. As if sensing his distress, Naruto turned to look at Sasuke questioningly. The raven stopped in his tracks, unable to look the blonde in the eye. Naruto stepped closer to Sasuke, until they were only inches apart. The former nukenin kept his eyes trained on the ground, unable to voice his feelings. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't. He didn't want to see them again, because he knew they would bring back memories. Memories he didn't need, because they would make him weak. Kindness and affection were weaknesses, and Sasuke's former teammates brought out a little of both in him. Sasuke couldn't deny it any longer- he still cared about Cell Number Seven. Much as he hated to admit it, his old team made him feel things. Things he hadn't felt since seeing his family's bloody corpses strewn everywhere. When Sasuke had first joined the team, and got to know its members little by little, he had felt the ice around his heart slowly, ever so slowly, begin to crack ever so slightly.

It scared him.

When he had realized what was happening, that his defenses weren't working like they used to, he put them back up, stronger than ever before. Cell Number Seven was bad for him. It was slowly making him lower his guard, making him doubt his convictions. The one who practically tore it down was Naruto. If Naruto had made Sasuke lower it that much, almost letting him actually get inside in his head, then what would happen if he saw the rest of his team? The idea made Sasuke want to run away and move forward at the same time. But he couldn't. His legs were paralyzed, unable to move either way. Sasuke stood there, his mind racing with different scenarios of how his former teammates would react. He stood there like a stone for almost five minutes before Naruto spoke Sasuke's name, snapping him out of his thoughts. No matter what, even if he didn't want to hear it, didn't agree with what it had to say, Naruto's voice always reached him.

"Sasuke…" Sasuke looked up to see Naruto's hand on his shoulder. He raised his vision up even more, and ocean blue locked with steel gray. Unable to look away, they gazed into each other's eyes. "It'll be okay. Everything will be fine. They're still your comrades. They're still your friends." Naruto's voice was soft, almost a whisper. It immediately calmed Sasuke down, as if the words had been some sort of magic spell. His heart stopped beating wildly, his palms weren't so sweaty, his hands stopped shaking. Naruto grabbed his hand and held it until they were right in front of the ramen shop. Naruto gave it a squeeze, and let go.

Sakura, Kakashi, and Sai turned around in their seats almost simultaneously as they heard Naruto and Sasuke approaching. Sasuke was just glad they hadn't seen what had just happened. Sakura, with a humongous grin on her face, squealed "Sasuke-kun!" and all but leapt at him. She appeared to be jumping into his arms, but Sasuke realized too late what she actually planned on doing.

Her fist collided with Sasuke's cheek with such force that the raven was blown back about ten feet.

_-The hell? _Sasuke thought as he lay on the ground. _When did she get so fucking strong? _

There was dead silence for several moments until Naruto abruptly burst out laughing loudly. Tears at the corner of his eyes, he held his stomach from laughing so much.

He stopped laughing when Sakura's fist collided with his cheek, too.

Granted, Naruto was only blown back a few feet, but he ended up on his back just like Sasuke. He groaned and stood up pretty quickly. He glared at Sakura.

"What the fucking hell was that for? I understand punching the teme, I always want to hit him too, but why me?"

"For keeping things from me. If you ever do that again, I will KILL YOU." Sakura glared at Naruto now.

"Y-Yes ma'am." Naruto trembled slightly at the look in Sakura's eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that she would do just that if provoked.

Sakura turned to Sasuke, and he could see why Naruto had started trembling. The look in her eyes was enough to unnerve the raven. Which was not an easy feat.

"And you, Sasuke-kun. If you so much as give me the slightest hint of suspicion, you are dead meat. I still haven't forgiven you for leaving the village. Oh, and trying to kill me. We can't forget about that, now can we? So, do you promise me that that will never happen again? That you promise to behave yourself?"

Sasuke sat up and looked at Sakura. He nodded, but couldn't quite look her in the eye.

"Good. Now that that's settled, let's eat!" Sakura smiled cheerfully and sat back down in her seat.

Sasuke sat there, just staring incredulously at the three sitting down. Kakashi smiled at Sasuke, then turned around and began to eat. Apparently, the whole thing had been very amusing to him. He always had been a bit of a sadistic bastard. It was then that Sasuke took notice of the pale black-haired boy sitting next to Kakashi. Sasuke hadn't noticed him at all before; he had been too focused on his former teammates. Now looking at him, Sasuke thought he and the boy looked a lot alike. When they had gotten a replacement for Sasuke, they must have really wanted a replacement. Sasuke didn't know why, but the thought irked him. Sitting there, Sasuke decided that he didn't like… Sai was his name, right? Whatever, Sasuke did not like Sai.

Sasuke felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up, already knowing who it was. Naruto held out a hand to him and helped him to his feet. He was smirking heavily, and was staring at what Sasuke knew was angry and red swollen cheek. It stung painfully, and began to throb at the thought. He also knew that in the morning it would be a deep, dark, black bruise. As an Uchiha, Sasuke had very pale skin, and as a result he had always bruised very easily.

"I suppose this is all very funny to you, dobe?" Sasuke growled, brushing dirt off his clothes.

Naruto smirked. "Yup. It's always been a dream of mine to have Sakura-chan to kick your ass. That was fucking hilarious!" Naruto chuckled at the memory again. His cheek had already begun to heal, Sasuke noticed. It wasn't red or swollen at all, actually. He always had healed fast.

"Shut up, dobe. I bet she kicks your ass constantly. Now let's go eat. You're paying." Sasuke said as he strode towards his seat, leaving a scowling Naruto standing behind with his arms crossed.

After a few seconds, though, the smell must have grown to be too much, and he finally took his seat next to Sasuke. Sasuke sat next to Kakashi, who sat next to Sakura, who sat next to Sai.

Their ramen came shortly after, and they are their food in silence. It seemed like no one knew what to say. It went on for several minutes before Naruto couldn't take it anymore.

"This is awkward. Someone do something funny."

Naruto breaking the silence, coupled with his bluntness, broke the tension. Sakura chuckled, Kakashi and Sai smiled, and Sasuke smirked. After that, everything was fine. The tension was completely gone. Everyone, especially Naruto, chatted normally, and Sasuke didn't say anything. He just listened. Listened to the voices he hadn't heard in so long. It was strangely pleasant.

As they all finished their bowls of ramen (Naruto on his third) Kakashi turned to Sasuke and smiled.

"I'm gland your back, Sasuke. It wasn't the same without you."

Sakura smiled and nodded, looking at Sasuke. "It's good to see you again."

Sasuke just stared. He had no idea what to say. He had expected the punching, the silent treatment. He had expected a lot more than that, actually. He had been fully prepared to have his two former teammates yelling at him, screaming how much they hate him.

He hadn't expected them to forgive him.

Sasuke finally found his voice when Naruto patted him on the back encouragingly. It was an intimate gesture, something that would normally make Sasuke feel uncomfortable, but with Naruto, it was just the right thing to do.

"How can you forgive me?" Sasuke asked quietly, staring at Kakashi and Sakura.

"Because we're a team." Kakashi stated simply, as if Sasuke should already have known that. Sakura nodded, agreeing with her sensei.

Embarrassed, Sasuke just replied with a "Hn." And looked away.

Naruto laughed. "There, ya see! Everything turned out fine, just like I said! You should listen to me more often, Sasuke!" Sasuke snorted, and got up to leave. Naruto followed suit and stood up to. They waved to the three just getting off their stools, and left for what Sasuke had already began to think of as home.

DAYS UNTIL NARUTO LEAVES FOR SENTENCE: 21

* * *

><p>The days after the Cell Number Seven reunion were filled with so many things that Sasuke barely had time to think.<p>

He, Naruto, and sometimes the rest of Cell Number Seven went on many missions together. All of them D-rank, of course. They varied from finding a lost pet to doing simple errands for the villagers. Retrieving documents were common as well. Labor was the most common though. Sasuke was lucky that all his training these past few years had been successful in strengthening his muscles. Not that it showed, he was still as skinny and lanky as he had always been.

Doing all those missions together with the complete Cell Number Seven did exactly what Sasuke hadn't wanted: it brought back memories.

Memories that, surprisingly, Sasuke didn't mind remembering. It was quite pleasant, actually, to think of them during a particularly boring mission that reminded him of the ones they used to do when first starting out.

Like old times, Naruto would do nothing but complain loudly.

Like old times, Sakura would yell at Naruto, but do the job exactly as requested.

Like old times, Kakashi would kick back and read his porn novels, completely ignoring his students' distress.

Like old times, Sasuke would do the job perfectly, saying as little as possible, but still managing to communicate with his teammates effectively to get the job done as fast as possible.

But unlike old times, Sasuke found himself actually enjoying doing these missions, no matter how mundane. If he was completely honest with himself, he supposed it was because he liked spending time with his teammates again. He had been isolated so long, trusting no one, that just being near those so familiar to him made him calm.

Just like old times, Sasuke felt himself lowering his guard, slowly but surely.

But unlike old times, this time around Sasuke didn't mind one bit.

One such case was one evening when he, Sakura, and Naruto were chasing a pet cat. They had to get it back to its owner by nightfall, or else the mission was failed. Sakura had decided to come along because she claimed she was bored, but both he and Naruto could tell she just wanted to be with Sasuke.

Like old times, Sakura flirted with Sasuke shamelessly. She batted her eyelashes and asked him out constantly, all to no avail. Every time she asked Sasuke if he wanted to get lunch or train together, he always said no, just like old times.

Sasuke actually appreciate the fact that things were just like how they used to be, but he didn't appreciate having to fend off Sakura at every turn. He had forgotten just how annoying she could be. She followed Naruto and Sasuke around like a puppy, going on missions with them as often as possible. She even visited Naruto's house occasionally, just to see Sasuke.

Well, that particular evening, Sakura was being extra bold. She kept brushing up against Sasuke's shoulder as they ran after the orange cat, apologizing each time, but kept doing it. It was really starting to piss Sasuke off, since it slowed him down considerably. Naruto ran ahead of Sasuke and Sakura, which was a very rare occurrence. Naruto usually was the one weighing them down, not Sakura.

Naruto's eyes darted all around, searching the forest they were in. The cat had run into it an hour ago, and they kept seeing its tail, but it always darted away before they could grab a hold of it. It was like a ninja, for Christ's sake! It darted all around, climbing up trees, and leaping from branch to branch. Just when it seemed like they had it in their grasp it would slip through their fingers and dart into the bushes, where it was too dark to see because of the thick cloud of trees.

It didn't help that it was in the middle of summer, and the forest was hot and muggy.

All in all, it was a horrible night for everyone.

Just as Naruto was about to grab the orange demon's tail into his fist, it leapt up into a tree, just like it had been doing for what seemed like forever. Naruto cursed, and ran up after it.

Sasuke remembered the time he and Naruto had spent hours upon hours training together, practicing this very skill. Sasuke, frustrated that he wasn't improving at a faster rate, had seen how fast Naruto was climbing up the tree. Swallowing his pride, Sasuke had asked Naruto to tell him the secret to walking up a tree. Naruto had been an ass and refused at first, but had eventually come around after seeing Sasuke struggle for awhile. It was one of Sasuke's precious memories, despite having embarrassed himself by blushing in front of the dobe.

Sasuke followed after Naruto, on instinct, and Sakura followed Sasuke out of stupidity. She should have been trying to corner the damn cat in the opposite direction.

"I'm about to throw a kunai into this damn cat's ass!" Naruto yelled as the cat jumped down some branches and out of the tree, into the forest. They promptly lost sight of it. Sasuke couldn't help but silently agree with Naruto's outburst. If the jinchuriki didn't do it, he would. The three of them ran down the tree and followed in the direction they had seen the cat run. Darkness was fast approaching, and if they didn't find it soon, it would be a mission. That was NOT an option for the proud Uchiha.

Sakura ran behind Sasuke, and as she had been doing for the entire length of the mission, brushed her hand against him, only this time, she "accidentally" brushed it against his ass. Sasuke turned around to send her a death glare. When the pink-haired girl saw it, she immediately apologized, and this time actually sounded sincere. Probably just sorry she had got caught.

Sasuke and Sakura didn't know, but Naruto wasn't as oblivious as he appeared to be. He saw what Sakura just did, and frowned even more than he had all the other times. It was really starting to piss him off. Sakura and Sasuke weren't concentrating on a mission, and as a result they had yet to catch the cat. If Sakura touched Sasuke like that ONE MORE TIME Naruto was going to yell like never before.

Sudden movement caught Naruto's eye, and he turned to tackle it, not caring that his teammates were falling way behind. Naruto thanked God, or whoever was listening, as his hands grasped fur. He lifted the cat in his arms and petted it, trying to calm it down. He held on to the scruff on its neck though, just to be sure. After a minute the cat calmed down, Naruto murmuring to it, and it nuzzled into Naruto's neck. _It's actually kinda cute when it's not trying to destroy my pride or kill me. _Naruto thought as the cat began to purr. Naruto looked around, wondering where his teammates were. He wanted to brag that he was the only one who actually did any work on this mission, and it was thanks to him alone that they got it done on time. When he didn't see either of them he began to wander around in the path he was pretty sure he had just come from, thinking they were somewhere behind him.

He kept walking, all the while stroking the cat. It really was getting had to see. They had to get the cat back to its owner soon. Just as Naruto was opening his mouth to start calling out Sasuke and Sakura's names, he heard an all too familiar silky voice. Sasuke's. He smiled, and jogged in its general direction. He was just about to call out Sasuke's name when he heard the raven speak.

"Sakura-chan…"

Naruto continued towards the sound of his friends' voice, curious as to what they were talking about without him. He felt left out, and wanted to know why. He reached a clearing and froze when he saw the scene inside it. Sakura was pushing Sasuke against a tree, that much he could tell in the dim light. He could also tell that Sakura's lips were inches from Sasuke's and she was about to kiss him. Naruto barely stood there long enough to assess the situation before he took off at a dead run. He was careful not to jostle the cat, but he needed to get out of there. He didn't care where, how long, or why, he just ran.

* * *

><p>Sasuke heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and looked up, effectively dodging the kiss Sakura was trying to plant on him. He wished she could see the disgusted expression on his face so that she could realize just how NOT INTERESTED he was. Just as Sasuke turned his head to the left, he heard a gasp that could be none other than Naruto. Naruto was just outside the clearing, watching them with a strange expression on his face.<p>

_Naruto! _He was going to misunderstand what was going on! Sakura was totally pushing herself onto him! He didn't want this at all!

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled, but it was too late. Naruto had ran off. He pushed Sakura off of him, who looked a little pissed. _Too fucking bad._

"What the hell, Sasuke-kun? What does this have to do with Naruto?" Sakura glared as she crossed her arms, demanding an answer.

"He saw that." Sasuke replied curtly.

"So what? This is between you and me!"

"There is nothing between you and me! Get this through your thick skull, Sakura: I DON'T LIKE YOU! I NEVER HAVE AND I NEVER WILL! SO JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Sasuke exploded, letting his pent up emotions come flooding out. It felt like the damn had just broke. And, damn, did it feel good. Sasuke barely took enough time to see Sakura's jaw hanging open in shock before running after Naruto.

Sasuke didn't know why, but he felt like he just HAD to go after Naruto. It really pissed him off that the dobe ran off before he could give him a proper explanation. _He always makes such stupid assumptions! He never thinks! Why didn't he realize that I would NEVER kiss Sakura? _His stomach had started churning when Sakura had pushed him against a tree, and stood up on her tiptoes to attempt to crush her lips against his. Sakura's actions has startled Sasuke, he hadn't been prepared for his teammate to attack him. Damn dobe for giving him a false sense of security! This was all Naruto's fault! Now where the hell could he be? Sasuke paused. He had a feeling where Naruto was going after seeing the slightly devastated expression on his face.

"Naruto."

Naruto didn't bother to turn around from his spot on the cliff's edge, his legs hanging off the end, just how he liked it. He already knew it was Sasuke, from the moment he heard soft footsteps. Sasuke was the one person in the world Naruto trusted enough to show his hiding place to. Naruto briefly regretted it.

"About what you saw…" Sasuke started speaking hesitantly. He wasn't quite sure what to say, and that always pissed him off. But now wasn't the time for that, he had to make sure Naruto didn't misunderstand what had been going on. Deep down, Sasuke wondered why this was so important to him; it was almost like he had no choice in the matter. When he'd seen Naruto in the clearing his body had immediately moved on its own. Damn body.

"Sakura pushed herself on me. It was in no way mutual." Sasuke decided to get straight to the point. He wasn't one for talking unnecessarily. Naruto hadn't acknowledged Sasuke even once, and that bothered him. Why wasn't he saying anything?

"Look, I didn't kiss her, dobe. I would never do that. I think of Sakura as a…friend." Sasuke continued. He was a little surprised when Naruto finally spoke.

"I didn't like seeing you with her. I didn't like it AT ALL. I'm a horrible person. When I saw you two together, I just wanted to tear her away from you. I thought I had grown out of my crush on Sakura-chan, but I didn't like seeing her with you. It pissed me off, seeing you with her." Naruto paused. Sasuke had his eyes wide in shock, unable to hide his emotions when he was with Naruto. It had always been that way, so he didn't bother to question it anymore. "I hated the thought of you two being together. I didn't want her kissing you, Sasuke. I didn't want her to get what she wanted. I didn't want you to be with her! When I saw her trying to kiss her, I just wanted to push her away from you! I don't like the thought of anyone being with you like that!" Naruto said, a little louder. Sasuke's eyes, impossibly, grew even wider.

_He didn't like seeing Sakura with me? And it's not because he wants me away from Sakura, but he wants Sakura away from me? He doesn't like Sakura like that anymore? So Naruto doesn't like the thought of being involved with someone? What does that mean? _Sasuke was confused. He had no idea Naruto could be like this. It was almost like he was…jealous. At that thought, a warmth started in Sasuke's stomach. The idea of Naruto being jealous made Sasuke kind of happy. It showed that he cared. It showed that he wasn't leaving anytime soon. Sasuke quickly realized that he felt the exact same way about Naruto. He wasn't quite sure what way that was yet, but he knew it was a nice, warm, bubbly feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was wonderful.

All of these thoughts flitted through Sasuke's mind in approximately ten seconds. Needless to say, he didn't think much before blurting out what he said next. And now just said, but SHOUTED.

"NARUTO, YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE I'VE EVER KISSED! I'LL PROBABLY NEVER KISS ANYONE BUT YOU, SO IT'S FINE!"

When Sasuke saw the pink immediately spread on Naruto's cheeks he realized the gravity of what he had just said. Sasuke's own cheek immediately began to turn a deep red. _What the hell was I thinking? What did I mean by that? Oh, he's probably going to freak out now! That sounded totally weird! But wait, why is he blushing like that? What does it mean? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? _For the first time in his life, young Uchiha Sasuke was having a panic attack. It figures that it would be about that damn dobe. Everything was his fault for making his get so riled up. When it came to Naruto, Sasuke always seemed to lose his cool. He was about to lose it again when Naruto started laughing. No, it was more like, dare he say it, giggling. Why the hell was the dobe giggling? Here Sasuke had poured his heart out (by Sasuke's standards) and he was _giggling?_

Naruto stood up, still chuckling slightly. He went over to Sasuke and looked him right in the eyes.

"Same for me, teme. Now, let's go home." Naruto, with his cheeks still slightly pink, grabbed Sasuke's hand and led him all the way home.

Naruto didn't miss the way Sasuke actually **smiled **when he told him that. Naruto thought Sasuke's real smile, and not the little smirks he always had on his face, was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Sasuke didn't mind Naruto holding his hand all the way home. He just hoped that he wouldn't see that his own cheeks were lightly dusted with pink as well.

DAYS UNTIL NARUTO LEAVES FOR SENTENCE: 14

* * *

><p>Naruto was in the kitchen, chopping up food for dinner. Sasuke was on Naruto's bed, reading a book. If you had told Naruto that this scene would take place just a few weeks ago, he would have said you were crazy. But, as unnatural as it sounded, it was actually quite nice.<p>

Naruto was preparing dinner for Sasuke. Sasuke just didn't know it yet. He was too engrossed in his book to notice what anyone else was doing. Naruto took advantage of that fact and decided to surprise Sasuke. Well, not surprise exactly, more like trying to beat him at his own game. Naruto would make stir-fry even better than Sasuke if it was the last thing he did!

Well, actually, this would be one of the last things he did. Tonight was his last night before leaving to go on his "mission" tomorrow morning. That was what Naruto had decided to call his leave of absence from the village. He would be gone for four years, after all. He planned to tell Sasuke that he was leaving over the amazing dinner Naruto would surely make. If he was being honest with himself, Naruto couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He wondered how Sasuke would take Naruto leaving on a mission so suddenly. Especially when Sasuke was living in his house, and had yet to find a suitable apartment to move into. Tsunade had said Sasuke would have to live on his own when Naruto left, so Sasuke would have to start looking tomorrow. Naruto decided that he would let Sasuke stay here by himself until he found a better place. Surely he wouldn't want to continue living here…

Naruto couldn't help but think that the thought of Sasuke leaving, and living on his own again after having lived with Sasuke, even if it was only for a short while, was a very sad one.

Not that Naruto would ever admit that. He was at least as proud as Sasuke.

Half an hour later, Naruto's stir-fry was finished. It looked delicious! Watching Sasuke make it all those times really paid off!

"Sasuke! Time for dinner!" Naruto called, knowing Sasuke would hear him. Sasuke always responded to his voice, Naruto noticed.

"Hn." Sasuke acknowledged Naruto as he put his book down and got off the bed. His eyes widened, much to Naruto's satisfaction, when he saw the stir-fry already on a plate for him. "What is this?"

Naruto smirked. "Stir-fry, teme."

"From where?"

"I made it, duh!" Naruto watched as Sasuke's eyes kept going back and forth between him and the stir-fry, trying to put the pieces together.

"YOU made this, dobe? That's not possible."

"It is too! Just eat the damn food!" Naruto huffed. He watched as Sasuke sat down at the table and hesitantly took a tiny bite. Coward.

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, before going back to normal. He put his usual expression on his face, hoping that Naruto hadn't seen his reaction. Sasuke would never, ever, admit it, even under torture, but this stir-fry was GOOD.

"Well, how is it?" Naruto asked eagerly, as he intently watched Sasuke eat. It made Sasuke a little nervous to have Naruto stare at him like that.

Sasuke just shrugged, and went back to eating. Naruto smirked, knowing exactly what that shrug meant.

"Admit it, teme, you like my cooking. It's better than yours."

Sasuke finally stopped chewing to glare at Naruto. "In your dreams, dobe. The only thing you can cook properly is ramen. _Instant _ramen."

Naruto smirked even more than before. "You're just too coward to admit that you like my cooking. You can't stand the thought of me being better than you at anything, can you. Don't' worry, I already know I'm better than you, so you don't have to say it."

Sasuke snorted. "As if, dobe. There's no way you're better than me." Sasuke paused as something occurred to him. "So why did you do this, anyway?"

Naruto stiffened. He really didn't want to have this conversation, but he knew it needed to be done. He was just worried about how Sasuke would take it.

"I just felt like it would be a nice thing to do. Is that so wrong?" Naruto asked, defensively.

"If it's you, yes. Now what's going on?" Sasuke demanded.

"Well… You kinda have to leave here tomorrow." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Sasuke immediately stopped chewing upon hearing Naruto's words. He knew he'd have to leave eventually, but…

He didn't want to.

Sasuke's hand dropped the spoon it was holding as he came to this realization. It was one thing to be stuck here, but to actually want to stay here, to actually think of this place as home…

It was crazy.

Naruto, realizing that Sasuke had taken the news the wrong way, started explaining the situation. "It's not that I want you to leave, Sasuke. It's just that I'm going on a mission tomorrow morning. I won't be back for awhile, but you're welcome to stay here if you want to. I'm sure you want your own place though, since you still can't go back to Uchiha part of the village."

_So… he doesn't want me to leave? He's just going on a mission? That's… good. I hate to admit it, but I like it here. Maybe I will stay… _Sasuke contemplated the pros and cons of staying in Naruto's house while Naruto himself was not that there. Strangely, Sasuke realized he like the idea of staying with Naruto. He made him feel more comfortable with being back in the village. Actually, if it wasn't for Naruto, Sasuke wouldn't be back in the village at all. He surely wouldn't have stuck around if Naruto hadn't wanted him to.

"I'll stay here." Sasuke stated, not giving the slightest hint of the internal distress going on his mind.

It was Naruto's turn to widen his eyes. _He wants to stay? YES! _Naruto wanted to throw his hands up in the air and cheer. Wait, why would he want to do that? This was only Sasuke! Why would he be happy about Sasuke staying with him? It must be because he didn't want to be alone anymore. Yeah, that must be it.

Naruto's excuse sounded weak even to his ears.

"Really?" Naruto couldn't help his voice rising in pitch and volume as he stood up. The thought of having Sasuke stay with him excited him too much. However, Naruto quickly realized what he had just done, and sat back down, embarrassed. Sasuke was staring at Naruto, and it was making himself conscious. "I mean, um, that's fine. You can stay here if you want to. You can stay as long as you want to." Naruto looked up at Sasuke and smiled.

Sasuke nodded, and went back it his meal. It really was good. Damn dobe. As the sound of forks clinking continued, a though popped up in Sasuke's mind.

"How long is your mission going to be?" Sasuke inquired.

_**CLANG**_

Naruto dropped his fork, which had been on the way to his mouth. Sasuke actually jumped a little at the loud noise. Whatever he had been expecting, that hadn't been it. Sasuke watched as Naruto, skin visibly paler than before, with hands shaking, picked his fork off the floor. What was going on with the dobe?

"Naruto?" Sasuke's voice couldn't quite disguise the concern he was feeling.

"Sorry! It was nothing! It's fine, Sasuke!" Naruto said quickly as he sat back up in his chair. "I'll be gone for quite awhile…"

"As in weeks?" Sasuke prodded, hoping to learn more about the mission.

Naruto shook his head, and looked down at his (nearly untouched) plate.

"Then how long?"

"Awhile." Naruto repeated.

"What kind of mission is this?" Sasuke said quietly. Missions that lasted that long were never good ones, and usually ended in some form of pain. He didn't want Naruto taking a mission like that. Wasn't it his job to stay with Sasuke? Why was he leaving on such a long mission?

"I can't tell you. It's top secret. Hey, I have something for you." Naruto said, changing the subject. Sasuke glared at him to show he didn't appreciate it. Naruto didn't care; he was only doing it for Sasuke's sake. Now came the other part Naruto had been nervous about. He didn't know how Sasuke would take this either.

Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out something small, putting it into Sasuke's palm after grabbing the raven's hand.

In Sasuke's palm was a key.

Sasuke looked up at Naruto, confused. He had no idea why the dobe would give him a key. Unless…

"It's the key to my house. I figured you'd need one if you were going to be living here…" Naruto mumbled, avoiding Sasuke's eyes.

"Hn." Sasuke stared at the key, as if he wasn't sure if it was real.

"Look, if you don't want it, give it back." Naruto should have known Sasuke wouldn't have wanted it. It was totally weird for Naruto to assume that Sasuke would want to continue living with him.

"Thank you." Sasuke whispered.

Naruto snapped his head up so fast to look at Sasuke it almost gave him whiplash. Sasuke was clutching the key to his chest like a precious treasure. Naruto smiled widely, and Sasuke thought it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

That night, while lying in "bed", Sasuke did something he hadn't done since the second night.

He held Naruto's hand.

To Sasuke's surprise, Naruto squeezed his hand back tightly, and turned over to look at Sasuke. The quiet of the night was broken when Naruto spoke softly.

"When I get back, Sasuke, I have something really important to tell you." Naruto said, and then closed his eyes, still holding Sasuke's outstretched hand.

Sasuke stared at Naruto's peaceful sleeping face by the light of the moon for several more minutes before closing his obsidian eyes and surrendering to sleep.

The next morning, Naruto was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>AWWW, Naru's gone. How will Sasuke deal with this? The next chapter will be completely in Sasuke's point of view, showing a few moments of his life while Naruto's gone.<strong>

**ANNOUNCEMENT: This fic may be going on hiatus after the next chapter. I have some things going on, and I don't know if I'll have time to write. So, it's completely up to you guys. If you guys don't want this fic to go on hiatus, you have to review. If you don't, then I'll have no motivation to write during any free time I may have. Also, the number of reviews I get will determine how long the hiatus will be if I do go on one. It could be two or three months, depending on how busy I am. **

**But if you do review, then I'll write whenever I get the chance. The number of reviews will also determine how often I update if the fic does not go on hiatus. **

**The fate of this fic is completely up to you guys! **

**I'll let you guys know what I've decided when I post the next chapter. That'll probably be in a couple or a few days.**

**Thank ya! PLEASE REVIEW! PRETTY PLEASE! :D**


	8. 395 DaysSasuke

**Hola! First off, I'm a bad person. A terrible person. A horrible person. Why? I FORGOT TO THANK MY BETA IN THE LAST CHAPTER! For the first time ever, the last chapter was beta-ed. And I forgot to say thank you. Feel free to yell at me, I totally deserve it. T_T**

**I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY! I won't let it happen again, okay? I promise! So, without any further ado...**

**THANK YOU! **

**THANK YOU! THANK YOU YAOIFANGIRL1990! YOU'RE AN AWESOME BETA! I made sure to thank you twice for last time! **

**Anyways... Remember, this chapter is completely in Sasuke's POV. It's just a few moments in his life while Naru's gone. So it's kinda short, but it was meant to be. I'm not being lazy! Well, maybe just a little...**

**Disclaimer: YES! I OWN NARUTO! I FINALLY OWN NARUTO! He's mine! ALL MINE! He's NOT Masashi Kishimoto-sensei's anymore! He's finally mine! Hey, why are the guys in the white lab coats staring at me and shaking their heads? Is there something wrong?**

**ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE BOTTOM, PLEASE READ!**

**So, ready to take a little peek into Sasuke's head?**

* * *

><p><strong>Here's a little quote that I think pertains to Sasuke. I don't own it or anything.<strong>

"Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within."  
><strong>James Arthur Baldwin<strong> 

The sun shone straight through the window, landing directly on my eyes. I turned, but the sun seemed determined to wake me up. It seemed to follow me, once again shining directly into my closed eyes. I've always hated the sun; it never failed to wake me up at the slightest hint of light. Except… Except when I was with Naruto. Speaking of Naruto…

"Naruto, close the damn curtains." I mumbled, too sleepy to open my eyes or do it myself. When he didn't answer, I had no choice but to pry one eye slightly open.

The bed where Naruto always slept was empty. The memories of last night came flooding back, about how I had held Naruto's hand, and how he was on a mission now. Hn, I didn't think he was capable of getting up this early. Makes me wonder what this mission is about, since it must be important if he would sacrifice sleep. The dobe could sleep more than anyone I had ever known.

I got up, got dressed, ate breakfast, and headed out the door; my usual routine since living with Naruto. But now before realizing how quiet the house had seemed without his usual too loud, annoying babble. Not that it mattered. I was used to silence. I was used to being alone.

As I shut the door behind me I saw Sakura right in front of me. I sighed mentally; I SO did not want to see her right now. Things had been awkward between us ever since that night. She was doing her best to act like nothing had happened, so I was too. I would rather just forget about the whole thing, but it was a little hard to seeing her every day. Naruto had done the best, and honestly hadn't seemed to sense anything different between his two teammates.

Damn that dobe.

"Where's Naruto?" Sakura asked, causing me to stop spacing out. I've been doing that a lot lately; the dobe must be rubbing off on me.

"He's on a mission." I responded. I walked away, hoping to lose her, but no such luck.

"What? He never told me he was going on a mission! That idiot!" Sakura yelled as she followed me. I really wish she would just leave me alone to brood. "Why did he tell you and not me?" Sakura demanded.

I shrugged, hoping not to have to explain that Naruto was closer to me than her. It seemed kind of petty. But when Sakura kept glaring at me, I knew I'd have to say something.

"I live with him. He sees me more often. It probably just slipped his mind to tell you." This seemed to satisfy Sakura for a moment, as she nodded her head, but all too soon she had another question for me.

"How long is this mission? Where is at? When will he be back?" I resisted the urge to growl at her as she bombarded me with pointless questions. Why won't she just leave me the fuck alone like I asked her to?

"I don't know, I don't know, and I don't know."

"Why not?" Sakura glared at me some more.

"It's a top secret mission. Now will you let me train in peace?" I raised my voice, losing my patience as we neared the training grounds. If she didn't leave me alone now, there would be no way I'd be able to train in peace.

Sakura shot me another glare, but then walked away. Hn, maybe she wasn't in love with me as she claimed to be. Makes me wonder why she wanted to know so much about Naruto.

Damn dobe!

I trained for hours, but the only thing that was on my mind was that damn dobe.

* * *

><p>THREE MONTHS LATER<p>

I finished putting the food on my plate and sat down at the table. Stir-fry, my favorite. I put it in my mouth and chewed, just like always. I tasted it, but didn't enjoy it. I think back to the last time I had enjoyed eating anything, and it made me wonder what Naruto had put in the stir-fry he had made that night to make it taste so different. I would never, ever, admit it, not even under the threat of torture, but Naruto's stir-fry had been _good._

The clock in the room ticked and tocked, just like always. The moon shone, just like always. I was alone, just like always. Naruto was gone, the house too silent because of it, just like always.

I hated it.

* * *

><p>THREE MONTHS LATER<p>

I lay on my futon, wide awake. Ever since Naruto left I haven't been sleeping well. About as well as I did when I was away from the village. I turned over to look at the empty bed next to me. I know he wasn't using it, but the thought of using his bed just seemed wrong to me. As if it meant he was never coming back. I'd gotten used to living here long ago, with or without Naruto. I'd even come to think of this as my home. But still…

What was it that he wanted to tell me? Why couldn't he have told me then? He has seemed slightly nervous that last night before he left. What could make him act like that?

Damn it, when is he coming back?

He better come back, or else I'll kill him myself.

I lay there, remembering what it felt like to listen to the sound of having someone breathing next to you as you slept, and the way it made you relax. I didn't want to sleep, but I knew I needed to. Ever since Naruto left, the nightmares had returned in full force, but even worse than before. Every morning I woke up panting and sweating, thinking that my family had just been killed before my eyes all over again.

I closed my eyes, and finally allowed sleep to take me away.

Away to yet another nightmare.

* * *

><p>THREE MONTHS LATER<p>

I moved my hand back and forth continuously, not even paying attention to what I was dusting. Not that the tiny house even needed dusting. I've been cleaning it so much to keep my mind off of Naruto that it was practically spotless. I know for a fact that it has NEVER been this clean before. That damn dobe better thank me when he gets back.

Lost in my thoughts, I flick my right hand just a little too much and almost knock something over. Being the best ninja in Konoha, I catch it before it hits the ground. When I take a look to see what it is I just caught, my breathe catches in my throat.

It's the picture of Cell Number Seven. Kakashi-sensei had given them to all of us, saying that we'd come to treasure them someday.

He had no idea how right he was.

I hold the picture frame close to my chest, as if it was actually Naruto. I wonder where mine is. Oh yeah, on the day that I left Konoha I left it in my house, facedown. It was a symbol that I didn't want anything to do with them anymore, that I was leaving this place for good. I was perfectly fine until that damn dobe dragged me back.

Clutching the picture frame even tighter, I sit down at the closest available space, not even bothering to look where it is.

I wonder where he is right now.

I wonder if he's alright.

I wonder what's taking him so long.

I wonder what rank this mission is.

I wonder what it is he wants to tell me when he gets back.

I wonder when he's coming back.

I wonder what he's doing right now, at this exact moment.

I wonder if he's thinking about me as much as I'm thinking about him.

* * *

><p>THREEE MONTHS LATER<p>

I pick up a piece of fruit, an apple, with the intent of seeing if it's acceptable for me to buy. I don't mind going grocery shopping, since I've done it most of my life now, but this was getting ridiculous. The people in the store weren't even trying to hide their whispers, or their glares. I can't blame them, but I really wish they'd come up and tell me to my face what they think of me instead of being cowardly. That way I might be able to kick someone's ass, which I haven't done in awhile. Not since me and Naruto last sparred, at least.

Dammit.

"Why is he still here? I was hoping he'd leave soon, but it's been almost a year."

"He's probably trying to get us to let down our guard so he can kill us all."

"Why the hell did the Hokage let him stay here?"

"Did you hear? I heard he's living with that demon?"

"Yeah, and that he's on a mission. As long as it gets him out of the village, I don't care."

"Don't you think that's weird though? That he's living there when the owner of the house isn't?"

"He's just taking advantage of that monster. The poor thing doesn't know any better."

When the whispers were about me, I didn't care all that much. I just ignored them, and did my best not to let them bother me. I had been asking for it when I decided to stay here and be a part of Konoha again. But hearing all those people talk like that, about Naruto, it made me remember why I left in the first place. Why I hated them. Why I had wanted to kill them.

"SHUT UP!" I yelled, right there in the middle of the store. In my anger, I squish the apple I was holding in my hands, and the juices splatter all over the floor. I didn't give a damn what anyone thought o me anymore. They all hated me anyway, and would no matter what I did, so why bother being polite?

"Don't you dare pretend to know anything! You don't know about me! You don't know about Naruto! You don't know about our relationship! You don't know about the sacrifices that were made for this village! Sacrifices that all of you could lead your fucking pathetic little lives! Sacrifices that maybe shouldn't have been made in the first place. You don't know ANYTHING! You're all ignorant of the truth! So don't pretend you give a damn about anyone other than yourselves, and leave me alone. And if I ever hear you talking about Naruto like that again, I will make sure you regret it."

After my little speech there was absolute silence. You could have heard a pin drop, as they say. Some people looked pissed; some just stared with their jaws hanging open. I didn't stick around to let them respond. I put the apples I had picked out in my cart and walked away. I still had shopping to do.

I wonder why I'm even bothering; why I'm still here. It all seems pointless, suddenly.

But I'll be damned if Naruto isn't getting his ass kicked for abandoning me.

* * *

><p>FOUR MONTHS LATER<p>

"Sasuke-kun! You better tell me what you know! Why the hell isn't Naruto back yet?"

"I don't know! Just leave me the fuck alone!" I yell at Sakura as I head home. I walk fast, hoping to lose her, but no such luck. Persistent as ever, dammit.

"You must know something! Why else would he give you a key and not me?" Sakura yelled back as she followed me. She was glaring, trying to look intimidating. Fat chance.

"Look, I don't anything. Missions are confidential. You should know that, as a shinobi. Now stop freaking out just because I told you I was living with him permanently!" I glared back, knowing my glare would do its job. It always did. Well, with one blonde exception.

"But why wouldn't he tell us anything? Something must be wrong!" Sakura slowed down a little, but didn't stop following me. If she doesn't stop soon, I may just forget the fact that she's a girl.

"Sakura, just shut the fuck up and leave me alone, for the 50'000th time! Just accept the fact that Naruto and I are closer than Naruto and you. If he **had **been able to tell anyone anything about his mission, I know he would have told me and not you. Suck it up and stop following me!"

"No! I know you know something about Naruto! I just know it!"

"I know that Naruto doesn't like you like that anymore, so you can stop chasing after him. I know the only reason you're thinking about him is because you're desperate. You know what; Naruto's too good for you. He deserves someone much better than a bitch who'll take anyone she can get. You'd only drag Naruto down, so stop chasing him!" My voice was cold, like it used to be. Some of these things may have been harsh, but I was **pissed! **How dare she treat Naruto like a consolation prize! She couldn't have me, so she'd settle for Naruto, huh?

Sakura's eyes filled with angry tears, and she stalked off in a huff. Serves her right.

On second thought, I'll probably have to apologize tomorrow. Naruto wouldn't want his team to be fighting when he gets back, whenever that'll be.

**If **he gets back.

No. He **will **come back! The dobe promised me. He always keeps his promises, right?

I unlock the door to Naruto's house, the moon light illuminating my path. I still can't believe Sakura's pissed that Naruto had given me a key and not her. Why does she even care? Ever since Naruto left, he's all she ever talks about. Kind of like how she used to bother me every waking second with her little "crush" on me. At least she's finally moved on, and stopped pestering me. Better she bother the dobe than me.

I keep telling myself that, trying to make myself believe it. Too bad it doesn't work, and I can't get the image of Naruto running to Sakura first, right after he gets back from his mission, out of my head. He did like her, after all. The things I said to Sakura were just in frustration, and weren't actually true, unfortunately (well, I do kind of think Sakura might hold him back if she went after Naruto).

Dammit!

In my anger, I slam the door behind me harder than necessary. Good thing that the house seems pretty sturdy, despite its age and size.

I collapse into my "bed", ready for another night of blood and gore. I'm too tired to even eat dinner, although I know I should. But it I ate it, I know I'll only think of him.

Dammit, it's already too late.

I hate him. I hate him for leaving. He said he'd always be here, but was that a lie? It's been so long; I can't help but have doubts.

I should have known it was too good to be true. Everything good about this world is. Especially someone like him. I curse myself for thinking that things could be different now, that I'd be able to live my life any way I see fit. Maybe even be happy, like he said.

I hate myself almost as much as I hate him. I was weak, and allowed him to get through walls I had so carefully put up.

I really wish I could see him right now, if just to give him a nice, hard punch to the face.

I scowl (well, more than usual), and turn over, trying to get comfortable. As I close my eyes, I can already feel the nightmare coming on, ready to take me away as soon as I succumb to sleep. Just as the first spurt of blood crosses my vision, I hear something.

_Knock _

A… heartbeat? Am I hearing the last beats of the hearts of my family before they're silenced forever?

_Knock_

No… That's not a heartbeat… It's more like a… knock?

_Knock_

Yes, a very light knocking. Is someone at the door? Who would be at the door this late? I open my eyes, slightly thankful despite the late hour to have an excuse to not have to see those things.

Ugh, rain. I hate the rain. It reminds me of **that night.**

I get up and walk towards the door slowly. Just in case, I grab a kunai that I always keep underneath my pillow. I slip it into the waistband of my sleep pants, for easy access. I open the door and step back quickly, just in case anything comes at me when I open the door.

I almost didn't catch Naruto in my arms as he fell, the blood covering his whole body staining my clothes as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Tee hee. I bet you have alot of questions, ne? Some will be answered in the next chapter, some in the chapter after that. It'll be the 395 days they're apart from Naru's POV.<strong>

**Okay, so as you've probably guessed, this fic isn't going on hiatus-for now. That doesn't mean it won't change in the future. You're reviews and such will help me determine whether I can keep this fic going or not.**

**Speaking of reviews, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, and all others who have supported this fic. I'm going through a really tough time in my life right now; I'm doing some things that I'm really not comfortable with and freak me out, but they have to be done. That being said, I hate it. I can't wait until it's done, but that won't be for awhile, and I don't have much free time anymore. **

**Anyways, I want to give everyone who reviewed a big huge hug! THANK YOU! :D You're reviews are giving me strength to get through this period in my life! If it weren't for you guys, I probably wouldn't be writing this! Writing is a great stress reliever, and it helps keep my mind off of the bad things in my life. So thank you guys, for helping me. It means alot to me. To everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and story alerted this story, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.**

**Okay, enough of the mushy gushy. I'll shut up now.**


	9. 395 Days  Naruto

**First off, a big thank you to YaoiFanGirl1990 for being my beta! Gracias!**

**Secondly, OMG HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW ENDING TO THE NARUTO ANIME? IT'S FUCKING AWESOME! I LOVE IT! IT'S SO CUTE! I LOVE THE SONG TOO! I bought it! Kyaaa, I just love how the song says "I just need you right by side", and when it's all about Naruto and Sasuke! It's at times like this that I have to slap myself and remind myself that Sasunaru isn't real, no matter how much I want it to be... They're just teasing me... But... IT'S SO CUTE! Okay, done fangirling... for now.**

**Thirdly, LurvirsLuvvie : Thank you so much for all your reviews and support! You make me super duper happy! You really should enable the PM, so that I can thank you and reply to your reviews. So, in appreciation, this chapter is dedicated to you! **

**Disclaimer #1: Lots of swearing. More than usual. Naru has a potty mouth like me.**

**Disclaimer #2: Some disturbing images and thoughts, I guess. Nothing too bad, but just to be sure... Some gore, too. Like blood. Lots and lots of blood.**

**Disclaimer #3: Naru ain't mine. He belongs to Sasuke, of course. **

**Remember, this chapter is 100% completely in Naru's POV. I know it's gonna be hard to understand at the end, but it's meant to be.**

**Oh yeah, I don't own the quote or anything, I'm just pretty sure Naruto lives by it, lol! So I decided to put it in, since I forgot the first time I uploaded this chapter.**

**Let's do this!**

* * *

><p>" A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." - Herm Albright<p>

The sun wasn't even up when I opened my eyes. It was just before dawn, so the moon was still clearly visible in the sky through the window, as big and full and entrancing as ever. I just lay there in bed, staring at it, not wanting to get out of bed.

Not wanting to do what I had to do.

After fighting with myself for five minutes straight, I decide to make my lazy ass get out of bed. As I crawl out of my nice, warm, bed and force my legs to walk away, I feel something tugging on my hand. I look down, and blush slightly when I see what it is.

Why is Sasuke still holding my hand? Not that I mind, but… It's a little weird to see Sasuke looking so… cute. With his face all peaceful and not the cold, calm mask he usually wears (although, I have noticed that when we're alone, it softens ever so slightly). His lips are parted slightly into a small O. His cheeks are a little flushed, probably from being wrapped up in so many blankets and the heat from holding my hand. He's curled up in a fetal position, save for the one arm reaching out to mine. It makes him look smaller, somehow, and a little younger. The way he's clutching my hand emphasizes that fact.

Oh, God, I think I'm **already **going insane! This is Sasuke! SASUKE! I like girls, right? I have a crush on Sakura-chan, right? But wait… You didn't like seeing her with Sasuke. More so, you didn't like SASUKE being with her. You said it yourself; you wanted to push **her** away from him.

Oh God. What I wanted to tell Sasuke last night was true.

And I'd said it'd tell him when I get back… I shake my head, trying to clear it. No use thinking about it. Whatever happens happens. Everything will be fine. If you still feel the same way when you get back, then say it. That's all there is to it.

I look at the clock and see a combo of a 6 and an 01. Geez, how long have I been standing here? I meet with the Anbu members at 6:30, so I better get moving. I start to walk to the kitchen but once again I'm pulled back. Owww, that teme has some grip! I pull my hand, trying to get him to let go, but he squeezes even tighter, almost breaking my wrist.

"Fuck!" It hurts so much I can't help but yell! Crap, I hope I didn't wake him up. That would be really awkward. But no, when I look down, his eyes are still closed and his breathing still even. Hn, I thought he was supposed to be a really light sleeper. 'HN'? DID I JUST THINK 'HN'? Oh, God, I've been spending WAY too much time with this bastard.

As I sink down to the floor, in the tiny space between my bed and Sasuke's futon, I realize that won't be a problem in the near future. I won't be seeing Sasuke for a very, very long time.

Suddenly, being so close to Sasuke doesn't seem so bad. Being late to meeting with the Anbu so that they can take me to the Anbu headquarters doesn't seem so bad. Although, they'll probably be really mad if I make them wait… Anbu aren't really known for their patience…

I sigh. I really, really, want to just stay here and watch Sasuke sleep. But I have to go… Go and get tortured. That sounds so much better.

I'm startled out of my thoughts when Sasuke suddenly grabs me and pulls me up against him. He puts his arms around my waist and holds me close.

GAAH! WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING? I blush profusely, something I hate to do. It seems like I've been doing that a lot lately since I started living with Sasuke. Damn teme!

…He's really warm… It feels… Kinda nice… When he rubs his feet against mine, and then tangles our legs together, my heart starts beating wildly. GAAH! It's probably loud enough to wake him up!

Despite how much I want to lay here, I know it's not a good idea. I put my hands on his arms that are wrapped around my waist, with the intent of prying them off, but stop when I touch his skin. It's so soft. Softer than any girl's I've ever touched. Definitely softer than Sakura-chan's.

Okay, that settles it. Screw those Anbu. I'm going to be stuck there for years, they can wait until I **feel **like going. Who knew The Great Uchiha Sasuke was such a cuddler? It's nice to have some dirt on him. Oh yeah, I can totally use this to my advantage in the future! The teme will be at my mercy!

I close my eyes, and start drifting off to sleep, damn the consequences. So warm…

_Knock knock_

Begrudgingly, I open my eyes to see an Anbu knocking on the window. I swear, I can sense the smirk on his face. I glare in return, but nod to show that I understand. He darts away, presumably to our meeting spot.

I groan, and attempt to pry Sasuke's arms from around me. When that doesn't work, I decide to try something new. Slowly, I inch my hand over to Sasuke's waist and tickle the exposed pale, silky skin. I look to see Sasuke scrunching up his face slightly, and after a few more seconds he lets go of me. I quickly stand up and get off the futon. There is **no **way he's capturing me again!

Actually, that's exactly what I want…

Ugh. Quickly, I get dressed and attempt to have a small breakfast. I doubt I'll be getting anything good to eat for four years. Damn teme, why did he have to stay away for so long? Unfortunately, as soon as I put more than a few bites in my mouth the pain starts up again, and I feel the ramen threaten to come back up again. Dammit! I won't be able to eat ramen for FOUR FUCKING YEARS! And I can't even enjoy my last cup (that I'd secretly hidden from Sasuke)?

Fucking demon. Asshole. Son of a bitch. Mother fucker!

Sighing, I throw the mostly uneaten cup of ramen in the trash. I have a feeling I'll be eating even less in the future.

So this is it. I put my hand on the doorknob so that I can turn it, and walk out the door. But I can't. My hand seems to be frozen. It won't move. How pathetic.

Turning around, I take one last look at Sasuke. I can do this. It's all for Sasuke. He doesn't need any more pain in his life. As his friend, it's my job to keep him from any pain, right? So to keep that peaceful look on his face, I'll do whatever I have to do.

* * *

><p>Wow, this place is really, really gloomy. Haven't they ever heard of a light bulb? Or the color orange? They could really use a lot more of those things in this place, in my opinion. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, though. All the Anbu I've ever met have been kinda creepy and gloomy. Even Yamato-taichou had his moments.<p>

As I walked down the dark, musty, damp hallway, the two Anbu behind me kept prodding me to go faster, and it was really starting to piss me off. If I didn't have these chakra-canceling handcuffs on, I would SO kick his ass. As it is, I can't resist pissing him off a little.

"I'd ask you guys how many Anbu it takes it to change a light bulb, but my guess is you guys would have no idea what I'm talking about. Obviously, a light bulb has never been changed here before." I say nonchalantly, and smirk when I see one of the Anbu in front of me make a fist. Maybe they're not so emotionless after all. I may be able to have a little fun before I enter my cell, or wherever it is they're taking me to.

"You know, this place really needs a new paint job too. I think I have some cans left over from when I painted a part of my house, if you guys want some. I'll even help you paint!" I almost laugh when I see the other Anbu in front of me reach towards his weapons pouch on his hip. Who knew it'd be so easy to piss off an Anbu?

"Then again," I continue, unable to resist "You guys probably haven't heard of the color orange either. See, it looks like the color I'm wearing right now. The one that's _not _black, okay?" At this the same Anbu that had made a fist turned around and, I assumed, since I couldn't see his face, glared at me.

"Look, you little shit-" The Anbu snarled, but was cut off by the one walking next to him. The Anbu put his hand on the other's shoulder and I heard him murmur "Just wait until we get to the room." The Anbu nodded, seemingly appeased.

I frown. That doesn't sound good for me.

To get my mind off the upcoming unpleasantries that surely await me, I decide to push the Anbu even further.

"You can stop poking me, ya know! I can walk by myself! Or are you so weak that you're scared that I can beat you with my hands tied behind my back and no chakra?"

That seemed to do it. The Anbu behind me to my right holds a kunai to my throat within seconds. The cold metal against my sensitive throat unnerves me, but I of course don't let it show. You never let your enemies see your weakness, especially as a shinobi, and especially when your said enemies were going to be torturing you for years. The tip of the kunai digs into my throat, drawing a drop of blood that trickles down onto my orange jumpsuit.

Maybe pissing off an Anbu wasn't one of my brighter ideas.

"If you think you're going to walk away from this without a scratch on you, you got another thing coming, you piece of shit." The Anbu growled, but after a few more seconds withdrew his kunai.

Not about to be outdone, I sneer. "We'll see," I say cockily as I continue walking. I can feel the Anbu's glare from behind his mask.

We finally reach the end of the hallway, and I assume our destination. We enter a room as dark as the hallway, even with the 'light' on, and I can't help but frown when I get all the way into the room to get a good look.

A single chair stood in the middle, with straps I assumed where to hold down my arms, legs, and head. A dull light bulb hung over the chair on a wire, like an ominous spotlight. The walls where grey, and when I brushed one of my cuffed hands over one of them, I could feel where made of an extremely hard and smooth substance. Not quite sure what, but I knew what it did to the room. Soundproof.

So this is the room where the "mission" will commence. I gulp as I come to that realization; I can't help it. I outright jump when the last Anbu slams the door behind me. Apparently, Anbu aren't very polite either. That fact is emphasized when one of the Anbu (I lost track of which one, they all look the same anyway) **rudely **uses a kunai to lead me to the chair. Instinctively, I try to move my hands to brush the kunai away, but they're obviously unable to do that at the moment.

Geez, now I know how Sasuke must have felt. These things are really annoying. And they **don't **need to keep prodding me! Are all Anbu such assholes?

"I can walk to the chair on my own, you know. I'm a big boy, and I have two feet." I say as I vocalize my irritation; clearly in my voice. This only succeeds in the Anbu pushing the kunai into my back even further, any more and it'll be stabbing me.

"Are all Anbu such assholes?" I ask the question out loud. Oh well, so much for not pissing off the Anbu anymore. Surprisingly, all the Anbu stay silent. The kunai leaves my back, but before I know it I'm thrown into the chair, robbing me of my breath. I just barely resist the urge to growl at them.

I sit there, my breathing growing slightly heavier as they strap me in. To try and calm myself down, I think about why I'm doing this. Sasuke. I can do this for Sasuke. Everything will be fine, as long as Sasuke's okay. As long as he's okay, I will be too. I just have to be strong and get through this so that I can see him again.

I vehemently believed that, chanting it over and over as the Anbu gather their tools.

That is, until all the Anbu took of their masks and I recognized every single one of them from when they all had attempted to rip my heart out. The scars on their faces, that I had given them, seemed harsh in the dim light, marring their faces. In one of the cases, there was more scar tissue than actual skin. Lucky for me, that was the one that spoke up, his grotesque, obviously once ripped off and sown back on, lips curling up into a malicious smile.

"Looks like our time for revenge has arrived, my friends. Now let's have some fun."

Oh shit.

The Anbu picked up a set of pliers.

* * *

><p>THREE MONTHS LATER<p>

Fuck. Even the Kyuubi's chakra is getting slower. I'm not healing as fast as before. This is my first break in over a month, and if I don't hurry up, the hole in my chest might not be completely healed before they come back. If it's not healed, they might actually succeed in killing me. I can't let that happen. There's so much I have left to do, and I'll be damned if those Anbu assholes are gonna keep me from fulfilling me dreams.

But fuck, it FUCKING HURTS!

Shit. It's getting really hard to breathe. And fuck, I'm still bleeding. There goes my jumpsuit. Dammit, I only have two more minutes before they get back. There's two of them right now. They left me here in a cell, so I should take this time to lean against the cold, hard rock and relax. Yeah, right.

I struggle to take another breath, despite the pain I know it causes, and cough up more blood. Aww man, this shirt's completely ruined! Who knows if I'll get another one! Okay, Naruto, calm down. Just breathe. Owww, maybe not. Ugh, just think of something else to take your mind off the pain.

This is a lot different than the last time I got a hole in my chest. The last time was at the Final Valley. Sasuke had tried to kill me by running his fist through my chest. This time, it's by four Anbu that had tried to kill me once before and failed, and I have no choice in the matter. Actually, maybe they're not that different after all. I suppose this time was also indirectly Sasuke's fault too, and he had failed in killing me just like they did.

Sasuke… I'm doing this for Sasuke…

They won't break me. I won't let this break me. I'll endure the pain, of the torture and of their words. All for Sasuke.

* * *

><p>THREE MONTHS LATER<p>

"C'mon little fox! Scream for us!"

Another slash. I grind my teeth.

"How about we add some more whiskers to your face? Maybe we'll make it nine; one for every tail. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

When I don't answer, and just grit my teeth more, it pisses him off. Well, it makes him **more **pissed off. These past few months, I haven't been exactly silent in my hatred of the Anbu. Mouthing off was one of my many talents, and since they didn't always gag me, since they liked hearing my screams for some sick reason, I usually went with that.

"SCREAM! SCREAM YOU LITTLE MONSTER!" With his anger, the next slash to my cheek cut down to almost the bone. Ouch.

He continues to yell at me; alternating between telling me to scream and berating me. But the joke's on him. I'd lost my voice from screaming long, long ago.

It really sucks that I can't mouth off anymore, though.

* * *

><p>THREE MONTHS LATER<p>

_Swip_

_Splat_

_Swip _

_Splat_

The blood makes this sickening sound as it hits the floor every time after the sword slices me open.

You can probably see my guts now. I glance down at my stomach. Yup, you can totally see my intestines right now.

I briefly wonder if I can name any of them, but the pain doubles when my flesh starts trying to regenerate. Since I'm using the Kyuubi's chakra completely now (since my own is sealed off by the handcuffs), it burns to have my wounds healed. Especially since I need to be healed almost twenty hours a day, seven days a week. The four guys took shifts.

To take my mind off the now tripling pain, I conjure an image in my mind. It's the only reason why I'm here, why I'm alive right now when all I want to do it end this pain, why I can endure all this pain.

Sasuke's face.

Hair darker than any night falling over his equally black eyes. They shine like obsidian, and seem to stare straight into my soul; something that had always unnerved and enchanted me. High, angular cheekbones, but not too sharp. Pale, creamy, soft skin that was the color of porcelain, and always made me want to touch it. Pale, slightly pink lips, turned down in a frown, of course. Those lips were always really, really soft.

I remember all the times we've kissed. Three times. Two accidental, one nonconsentual. Four, actually, if you count that one indirect kiss. Wait, no, it's gotta be more than that. He drank a lot of mine, and I drank a lot of his… Now that I think about it, he still sometimes stole a bit of water out of my canteen during training…

Wow, I haven't thought about the fact that they're now pouring acid over the exposed (but now slightly smaller) hole in my stomach. Well, until now. ouch.

Oh great, they're bringing out the whip again. I **hate **that whip.

_Crack_

FUCK, THAT HURTS!

Happy thoughts… Happy thoughts… You were doing good for a while there... Find your happy place… I think my happy place would have to have Sasuke.

My torturer comes around from whipping my back to face me. Seeing his scarred face, with angry red lines running down his cheeks and a huge piece of scar tissue near his right eye, it reminds me of how I gave him those scars all those years ago. After him and his buddies had tried to kill me, I'd snapped. It was sometime after the Land of Waves mission, so the seal must have been weakening, even then. I'd passed out, and come to who knows how long after. I'd gone to where I was supposed to be meeting the rest of Cell Number Seven, covered in blood. Surprisingly, the only one who noticed something was wrong was Sasuke. He'd been the one comfort me, in his own way. Of course, it had all gone to hell after the whole 'indirect kiss' thing had started. It was all Sasuke's fault, though.

I wonder if he still remembers it.

I wonder where he is right now.

I wonder if he's alright.

I wonder how his missions are going.

I wonder how he'll react to what I want to tell him.

I wonder what he's doing right now, at this exact moment.

I wonder if he's thinking about me as much as I'm thinking about him.

* * *

><p>THREE MONTHS LATER<p>

_Crack_

_Squish_

_Crack_

_Squish_

The whip hits my muscle, not even making a snapping noise anymore. There was almost no skin on my back anymore. Blood's all over the floor, as usual,

"You're a monster!"

_Crack_

"You should never have been born!"

_Squish_

"If we let you live, you'd just kill us all!"

_Crack_

"We should kill you now!"

_Squish_

"We'd be doing the world a favor!"

_Crack_

"No one cares about you!"

_Squish_

"No one has, no one ever will!"

_Crack_

"You're a pathetic, evil little monster!"

_Squish_

"You're evil! JUST DIE!"

_Crack_

"The world would be a better place!"

_Squish_

The crack of the whip, the squish as it hits my back, and the Anbu's words create a rhythm I can't tune out. My whole world is reduced to this room, to this pain. The worse thing is, I'm actually starting to believe him, just a little bit.

* * *

><p>THREE MONTHS LATER<p>

Kakashi-sensei! Sakura-chan! Sasuke! It's so good to see them again! It's been so long! Years! Now we can finally be together!

I run towards them at full speed, my arms wide open. I embrace them all at once in a group hug.

"Monster…"

"Monster…"

"Monster…"

No… that can't be right. They wouldn't say those things. They wouldn't call me a monster… unless… I actually was one…

I feel something warm and wet seep into my clothes and spill onto my skin.

No! Not again!

I step back. Three corpses fall to the ground.

I killed them. Again. No. No. No. No. Again. Again. Again.

The other villagers come up behind me. I recognize all my friends and sensei. They see what I've done. Again. They come at me, screaming.

"Monster!"

"You've killed them!"

"Die!"

A second later all their corpses hit the ground as well. There's not a surfaced covered in bodies or red as far as the eye can see. I'm drenched in blood. Again. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

* * *

><p>FOUR MONTHS LATER<p>

Kakashi-sensei. Sakura-chan. Sasuke.

Blood. Death. Villagers. Blood. Death.

"MONSTER!"

"DIE!"

"EVERYONE HATES YOU! JUST DIE!"

It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.

_Kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill _

Blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood blood

Nothing. There's nothing. Numb. I feel nothing. They die. I feel nothing. Nothing, except for the desire of their blood.

"Naruto! Naruto, wake up! Naruto!"

Hurts… hurts… hurts… my… name…Naruto?

"Naruto, it's okay! Everything's going to be okay! So wake up, please!" The voice choked ever so slightly. Voice… Naruto… My name… Tsunade baa-chan?

Everything goes black. Where…

"Hokage-sama, we can handle this alone. You're needed in your office."

"No! I'm staying until he wakes up!"

"But-"

"Hokage-sama! There's been an emergency!"

"Grrr, fine, I'll be right there!"

_Click-clack click clack_

Silence.

"I can't believe she's letting this demonic beast loose! This monster!"

Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. That voice, always calling me a monster.

"We should have killed this monster when we had the chance! We could have made it look like an accident!"

No. No. No. Not a monster. Not a monster. Not a monster.

Light. I see light. I'm… blinking? Blurry. Must… find those voices.

"Looks like the little shit's waking up."

"Should we kill him now? I bet we can make it look like an accident. Let's kill this fucking monster!"

**That word.**

Rip. Tear. Blood. Rip. Tear. Blood. Rip. Tear. Blood. More blood. Blood everywhere. Red. Red. Everything's red. Delicious red.

Blood. Bodies. Corpses? . No. NO. I'm not a monster. I'm not a monster. I'm not a monster. I'm not a monster. I'm not a monster. I'm not a monster. I'm not a monster. I'm not a monster.

Get away. Run. Must run away. Home. Must go home. Home…

Sasuke. Sasuke. Home. Sasuke. Home.

Cold. So cold. Wet. So wet. Must run. Get away. Wet. Cold. Home. Must get home. Sasuke home? Sasuke _is _home. Home _is _Sasuke. Must get home. Almost home. Cold… So cold… Home. I'm home. Tired. So tired. Can't… stay up… must let… Sasuke… know I'm… home… Sasuke… I'm home… I'm home… I'm home… I'm home… I'm home.

Aaaah. Sasuke.

Everything goes black.

* * *

><p><strong>So yeah... Confused? Disturbed? Lemme know your thoughts! If I made any mistakes on anything at all, please let me know and I'll fix it... Eventually! Please review! As some of you already know, I reply to EVERY single review I get. So if you do review...<strong>

**You may get a bit of a sneak peek or a spoiler, if you request one in a question.I always answer any questions you may have, to whatever degree you want me to, based on if you want a spoiler or not. I'll let you know when I plan on updating again. I'll ask you for your thoughts on the chapter, and any suggestions you may have. Basically, you'll become more involved in the story! Plus, you get a huge thank you from me! Who woudn't want that? So please review and let me know your thoughts! I want to make this fic better!**

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and supported this story so far! Y'all are so nice! Your reviews give me strength! See y'all soon! :D**


	10. Blood

**Yo! I be here with a new chapter! **

**A big thanks to my beta, YaoiFanGirl1990!**

**Announcement: I shall be doing a Sasunaru oneshot (well, it may turn into a twoshot if it's too long when I write it) that is related to this fic. I have actually already mentioned what it will be about in the fic, not that long ago. If you can guess what it is, I shall dedicate a chapter to you! Lol, big prize right? Just guess what you think it'll be about in your review, please :D :wink wink: I'll dedicate chapters in order of who reviews and gets it right first. The story should be up in three or four days. Depends on how lazy I am.**

**Disclaimer #1: Potty mouths. Oh, and well, blood.**

**Disclaimer #2: I own Naru. I own Naru. I own Naru. I own Naru. I own Naru. Maybe if I tell myself that enough, it'll actually happen!**

**Ohs yeah, I almost forgot to mention that I added a quote onto the last chapter. It's Naru's quote. Check it out if you feel like it.**

* * *

><p>The sun shone brighter than it had in weeks. It was a nice change of pace after the rainy weather Konoha had been having, as if it were trying to dry out the wetness that the week's worth of rain had left. Rays of sunshine beamed through the glass of a window with its blinds open. The beams danced around playfully throughout the house, a result of the tree outside the window, and illuminated the room. The rays of sunshine continued to twirl around, spreading further into the room, until they abruptly halted, ending their dance.<p>

Right in Uchiha Sasuke's eyes.

Awake the second the bright light hit him, Sasuke cracked open an obsidian eye to glare at the unfortunate ray of light that dared awaken him. As if the ray of light could feel the weight of the glare, it actually inched away, but it was too late. Sasuke was wide awake.

Groaning, Sasuke shifted in bed, and only felt the cool sheets next to him. No warm body clinging to him. Sasuke's eyes shot open, roving over the other side of the bed. His heart rate increased, his breath seemed to get caught in his throat when he saw nothing there.

Naruto! Where was Naruto?

"Naruto." Sasuke called out, trying not to panic. What if they'd taken him? "Naruto!" Sasuke raised his voice and searched the room with his eyes. "Naruto!" Sasuke yelled now, admittedly panicking now. Oh God, they must have taken Naruto! Sasuke jumped out of bed, almost falling.

_Flush_

Sasuke turned towards the noise and saw Naruto walking out of the bathroom. Naruto seemed to see Sasuke at the exact same time Sasuke saw Naruto , and they both froze. He had no idea how long they stayed like that, just staring at each other, but as usual Naruto was the one to break the silence. Sensing Sasuke's unasked question, Naruto answered it, even though it was obvious what he had been doing.

"I was going to the bathroom…" Naruto started, and Sasuke's eyes widened. God, it felt so good to hear that voice again. He hadn't realized how much he had missed it until now. The last time he had heard that voice it had been raspy and laced with pain, not to mention much too quiet for Naruto's normally loud, obnoxious voice. Sasuke has grown used to hearing that voice babble on and on, yelling at him every so often about some stupid thing. But there were times when that voice spoke so gently and reassuringly, that it made Sasuke addicted to it without even realizing it. He didn't let it show though. Anger was much, much easier to show that affection. So, Sasuke decided to go with that.

"Why didn't you wake me up? And what the fuck happened?" Sasuke practically growled.

Instantly, Naruto was just as angry. "I just woke up! I had to piss! Deal with it!"

Sasuke glared back. "You know that's not the only thing I'm talking about! You come home covered in blood after a mission that lasts a YEAR, which you didn't even tell me it would last that long, don't even tell me anything about it at all, and sleep for three days straight! What the fuck do you want me to deal with first?"

"It's none of your goddamn business!" Naruto yelled, and his eyes flashed red for the briefest of seconds. It was such a brief flash that Sasuke thought it must have been his imagination. Sasuke clenched his fists and upped the level of his glare. Here he was, only concerned with about Naruto, and this is what he gets? And how DARE Naruto say it wasn't any of his business! Naruto's words caused a pain in Sasuke's chest, like a tightening, a squeezing around his heart. Not understanding why that was, it only served to piss Sasuke off even more.

"Of it's my business, you fucking idiot! It became my business when I decided to stay here! With you! You're the only reason I'm here, dobe!" Sasuke yelled just as loud as Naruto, if not louder. There was an absolute silence as both boy's eyes widened as they realized what Sasuke has just said, and what it implied. A slight pink rose on their cheeks simultaneously. Sky blue locked with jet black, and the two ninja stayed that way, just staring. It was almost like their way of having a civil conversation. What exactly they were searching for, neither knew, but apparently they found it. Each held the glare for a moment more before Sasuke smirked and Naruto smiled.

"So… What happened after I got here? I don't remember anything!" Naruto inquired as he walked over and sat on his bed. "Was I really out for three days straight?"

Sasuke sat down next to Naruto and began to speak, all the while enjoying being able to touch the dobe like this once again. Naruto acted like he didn't notice how close Sasuke was to him on the small bed; he found he liked it more than he should.

* * *

><p>"<em>N-Naruto?" Sasuke stuttered slightly, that's how surprised he was. He had just barely caught Naruto in his arms, Naruto's head resting on his shoulder and Sasuke's hands holding Naruto up by his waist. When Sasuke's hands felt something wet, warm, and sticky he came back to his senses. <em>

_Blood. This could only be blood. Sasuke held onto the blonde and slowly sank to his knees, trying not to jostle him in case he was injured. He layed Naruto down gently and began to asses him for injuries._

_Blood was everywhere. In Naruto's hair, on his face, his shirt, his hands, his pants, his ankles, his shoes. There was a trail of blood across the floor. There was even blood on Sasuke's shirt and hands, the raven noted as he looked down. _

_Sasuke got to work cutting off Naruto's clothes with the kunai that he had grabbed earlier, leaving the blonde only in boxers. If this wasn't a possibly life or death situation, he would have blushed at the thought of tearing Naruto's clothes off. But there was nothing. No lacerations, holes, or gashes. Just blood. He used the edge of his black sleeping shirt to wipe off some of the blood on both of Naruto's arms, and still saw nothing that could have possibly caused the insane amount of blood. _

_Sasuke got up and grabbed a small washcloth, got it damp, and started running it all over Naruto's body. Still, there was nothing, as the blood washed off, leaving exposed pale skin. There was only one conclusion. _

_None of this blood was Naruto's._

_Sasuke exhaled in relief. He didn't care who or what was sacrificed, as long as Naruto was okay. But was he really? Sasuke paused his running of the cloth across Naruto's face in thought. Something must have gone wrong in the mission for Naruto to come home like this. Sasuke frowned and looked down at Naruto's naked chest. _

_His breathing seemed a little too fast, but other than that he was fine. 'I guess he just needs some sleep. But I was answers when he wakes up.' deciding, Sasuke picks up Naruto (princess style, but only because it's the easiest) and marvels for a second at how light Naruto is. He did look a lot skinnier, Sasuke noted. His face had no traces of baby fat, it was pale and thin, a little too thin. His cheek bones and hip bones jutted out a little too sharply.' Did they run out of rations or something?'_

_Sasuke reached the bed and froze. 'I guess… I need to tuck him in or something.' Using his arm that was cradling Naruto's legs, Sasuke unmade the bed. Naruto's legs dangled, making it hard to keep a proper hold. The dobe had grown a bit taller, despite his seeming malnourishment. Gently, Sasuke layed Naruto down in the bed, and, embarrassingly, covered him up. _

_Sasuke stood there for several more minutes, deciding what to do. He could try and go back to sleep in his futon… But he didn't think that was going to happen any time soon. He could read… He could train… yes, that sounded like the best idea. Hitting something with a kunai would do him some good. His mind made up, Sasuke turned to walk to the training room (they had moved most of the training equipment back in, Sasuke didn't use the room anyway), but was stopped in his tracks by a hand clenching on to his shirt. _

_Turning again, Sasuke saw Naruto's fist holding on to his shirt for dear life._

"_Naruto?" 'Is he awake? His eyes are still closed, though. His breathing's still the same as before… So it's less like he's sleeping, and more like he's passed out from exhaustion.'_

"_D-Don't go…" Sasuke's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Naruto to speak, and especially to say something like that. His voice was so weak. Hoarse and scratchy, as if he had used it too much, and then lost it. Like it was the first time using it in a long, long time._

_But no. No way in hell was Uchiha Sasuke getting into bed with Uzumaki Naruto. No. Way. In. Hell._

_Naruto clutched Sasuke's shirt even tighter when Sasuke began to pull away. He looked so small… It made him look younger than he really was… Curled up in a fetal position… Naruto scrunched up his face in pain, suddenly, and Sasuke gave up fighting his urges. Screw it._

"_Alright, since you look so pathetic, dobe." Sasuke said softly, smirking. Naruto stopped clenching his shirt so tightly, but hung on until the last minute, like he was afraid that if he let go Sasuke would leave him. _

_Quickly, to not scare Naruto, Sasuke climbed into the bed next to him. The blonde immediately relaxed, and his breathing stopped being so erratic. It slowed to an almost sleeping speed. Sasuke relaxed as well, and lay there with his hands behind his head. Just thinking, since he was too wired to even attempt to sleep. 'What happened? He almost seems traumatized. What could do that to someone like Naruto? Or… Who could do that to someone like Naruto?' All thoughts were suddenly halted when Naruto abruptly rolled over on top of Sasuke, laying his head on the raven's chest._

'_GAAAH! WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING?' Despite himself, Sasuke began blushing profusely when Naruto entwined their legs together. His heart took off faster than it ever had before as Naruto snuggled as close as can be. _

'_Not doing this! Definitely not doing this!' Sasuke moved to push Naruto off, but then looked at the blonde's sleeping face up close. His lips were parted in a small o, as if he were now relaxed. He was paler than Sasuke remembered. His hair was all ruffled, with a few pinkish tints to it where there was dried blood. Sasuke could deny it no longer._

_Naruto was… cute._

_For the first time in his life, Sasuke gave up. There was absolutely no way he could resist anymore, no matter how much he might want to try. These emotions were just too much. They had to be let free, or else he'd explode. So Sasuke did just that, and let his emotions reign._

_Sasuke pulled the blonder even closer, and wrapped his arms around Naruto's. A very bony waist. So bony, it didn't quite feel like Naruto's waist from last time… Wait, what? Since when did he know what Naruto's waist felt like? 'This feels really familiar, for some odd reason…' As if they'd done it many, many times before. Well, whatever. It felt good. It felt right._

_For the next couple of days, Sasuke barely got out of bed. Only for the necessities, like going to the bathroom and eating and drinking. Whenever Sasuke forced himself to get out of bed Naruto would start to whimper and reach out for him, like a child. Sasuke found it incredibly cute, and couldn't help but love the fact that Naruto was reaching out for HIM, that he needed HIM. HIM, and no one else. _

_So Sasuke always did his best to get back to bed as fast as possible. Whenever there was something unavoidable that he had to do that would last longer than a couple minutes Sasuke would start talking. He'd talk about any random little thing that he could think of. Sasuke was obviously not much of a talker, but he didn't mind. If it helped Naruto, he'd do it. Hearing Sasuke's voice seemed to keep Naruto calm whenever Sasuke wasn't in the bed with him. He didn't whimper as much, and didn't reach out. As long as he knew that Sasuke was there, he was okay, it seemed. _

_It occurred to Sasuke that the reason Naruto might be cuddling up to him like that was that he was cold, when Naruto started to shiver just a little. Sasuke got out of bed and to Naruto's clothes drawer, picking out a shirt he had seen Naruto wear to bed many times and a pair of pants. Sasuke went back to the bed to dress Naruto, who was still in just his boxers. Naruto complied nicely, not even opening his eyes or flinching when Sasuke lifted up his arms to put the shirt on. It was a really big, white shirt with the Konoha Leaf on it, and it went all the way to Naruto's knees. Sasuke put the pants on Naruto, but Naruto had just grown so skinny that the pants didn't fit him anymore. They slid right off his hips as soon as he moved; there wasn't much point to wearing them then, so Sasuke decided to leave them off. _

_As soon as Sasuke lay back down in the bed, Naruto did the same thing as before and seemingly made it his mission to be as close to Sasuke as possible. So apparently, temperature had nothing to do with it. Naruto must just be a cuddly sleeper. Oh well, feeling Naruto's skin against his had been a bit… distracting, so Sasuke was glad for the layer of clothes between them, thin though they were. Sasuke smirked as he realized just how much dirt he had on Naruto now. The Great Hyperactive Ninja Uzumaki Naruto, a cuddly sleeper! This could be good. Naruto would be at his mercy! _

_When laying in bed, Sasuke would range from reading to just thinking, from staring at Naruto's sleeping face to sleeping himself. He had never much been one for laying around, even on his free days, as he preferring to train and move his body. But he didn't mind this in the least. It felt good to be able to hold Naruto, to know that he was safe. There had been times where all he could think about was Naruto's safety. Sometimes images played through his mind, of Naruto getting stabbed or captured by the enemy. It had kept him awake at night on numerous occasions._

_On one of his more thoughtful moods, Sasuke played around with the idea of going and telling the Hokage about Naruto. She was a medic nin, she might know exactly why Naruto had been sleeping so much. But Naruto had always slept a lot after getting injured on missions, something Sasuke had found out after seeing Naruto get hurt so many times while on a mission and then sharing a tent or room with him, and then hearing his snoring for hours upon hours. He had always been super hard to wake up the next morning, and a little disoriented if he hadn't slept longer than nine hours, or at least long enough for his body to repair itself. So was this any different?_

_Eventually, Sasuke decided on only telling the Hokage if Naruto slept more than three days. He didn't want to get Naruto in trouble with the Hokage if something had gone wrong on the mission, but if he was injured in some way that Sasuke couldn't see…_

_So Sasuke would wait one more day before seeing the Hokage._

_Or so he thought, until the Hokage came to him._

_BANG BANG_

'_Hn? Who the fuck's at the door?' They didn't even knock first, they just progressed straight to banging on the door. He would have heard if they had started knocking first, he was a very light sleeper. _

_Groaning, Sasuke made his unwilling body get out of the nice warm bed and answer the door. The banging never stopped. Naruto immediately reached out to the spot Sasuke had just vacated, and made a noise of discontentment. _

_Sasuke threw the door open, irritated for someone disturbing his sleep, and doing it so fucking RUDELY. It also pissed him off that he had to leave Naruto, too. He wanted to do this quickly, so he could get back to the blonde. HIS blonde, Sasuke amended, officially deciding that now._

"_What the fuck do you want?" Sasuke growled as soon as the door was open. He came face to face with the Hokage. Despite his obvious irritation, Sasuke's eyes widened. What the hell was the Hokage doing here?_

"_Oh… Hokage-sama…" Sasuke tried to make his tone polite through his still irked and slightly foggy mind. _

"_Where's Naruto?" The Hokage pushed past Sasuke into the house, her eyes searching for Naruto. _

"_He's sleeping. What do you need him for?" Sasuke asked, getting suspicious. Why would the Hokage barge into Naruto's house, demanding to see him? Did it have something to do with his mission?_

_The Hokage ignored Sasuke and strode towards Naruto's bed, where he was tossing and turning, whimpering every now and then. Sasuke reached out and grabbed her shoulder to stop her._

"_Don't wake him up." Sasuke said, struggling to keep his tone polite and not malicious._

_Tsunade turned and glared. "Don't tell me what to do, Uchiha brat!"_

_Sasuke glared back. "He needs his sleep."_

"_I don't care! I need to talk to him!" Tsunade crossed her arms defiantly._

"_It can wait." Sasuke narrowed his eyes._

"_How long has he been like this? He looks like shit." Tsunade nodded towards Naruto and put her hands on her hips._

"_Two days. He came back from his mission covered in blood that wasn't his and passed out." Sasuke explained._

"_Why didn't you tell me? Something could have been wrong with him!" Tsunade immediately began looking Naruto over. She watched his breathing, the pallor of his skin, and even pulled out a stethoscope to listen to his heart and breathing. Sasuke flinched slightly when she pulled out a light to look into Naruto's eyes that she pried open, but knew it was for the best. If there was something wrong with Naruto, the Hokage would know it. Once she was done, she stood up and sighed._

"_He seems malnourished and severely exhausted, but otherwise than that he's fine. He's very low in chakra, so he does need the sleep. His body's trying to restore the chakra he lost and heal itself from whatever happened on the mission. But if he's not awake by tomorrow afternoon, come see me."_

_Sasuke nodded. He had planned on doing that anyway. It was comforting to know that he had been right about the reason why Naruto was sleeping so much and about the length of time he should see the Hokage in. Sasuke' head snapped towards the bed when he heard Naruto whimpering louder than before. Tsunade did the same._

"_S-Sa-suke… Sas…" Naruto's eyes were rolling around behind their lids, like he was trying to force them open. He succeeded briefly, his blue eyes dull and unfocused, before they fluttered closed again. He kept moving his hands and feet, searching, and trying to open his eyes again._

"_Sa-suke…" Naruto moaned again, louder than before. The second he heard Naruto's voice like that, all desperate and needy-for HIM, Sasuke was at Naruto's bedside and holding the blonde's hand in both of his. It soothed Naruto and he immediately relaxed, and fell back asleep within seconds. _

_Sasuke sighed with relief, and he kept tracing patterns with his middle finger on Naruto's palm. He heard a chuckle and turned to glare at its source. Tsunade was staring at them, blushing lightly, and smiling an all-knowing smile that really pissed Sasuke off. _

"_So it's like that, eh? No wonder the brat wanted to save you so badly." Tsunade smirked._

_Sasuke shot her a death glare, fighting the urge to blush with all his might. "Is that all" He managed to force out, with only minimal killing intent._

_Still smirking, Tsunade answered "Just let him know when he wakes up that I need to see him in my office right away. Like I said, if he doesn't wake up by tomorrow afternoon, I'll have some Anbu come and kidnap him and I'll look him over more thoroughly. If that happens, he may need to stay in the hospital for awhile." _

_Sasuke nodded. The Hokage stayed long enough to smirk once more at Sasuke before exiting. Sasuke barely waited long enough to hear the door close before climbing in the bed next to Naruto._

* * *

><p>Naruto sat there, absorbing all the information Sasuke had just told him. He tried to fight the blush, but it came anyway. Sasuke didn't fail to notice, and smirked.<p>

GAAAAH! How could he act so pathetic? He knew he'd just had a traumatic experience of sorts, not that he could remember much about it right now, but… It was so embarrassing!

Trying to diffuse the awkwardness in the air, Naruto stood up and looked away from Sasuke. He looked around the room, noticing how neat it was as his eyes darted around from surface to surface. Anywhere but at Sasuke. Wow, Sasuke must have been keeping up with the cleaning; this place was spotless.

"Well, I guess I better go to see what Tsunade Baa-chan wants now! " Naruto did his best to ignore Sasuke's stare as he got some clothes from his drawer, and the fact that he was only wearing a large black nightshirt and boxers. Sasuke must have dressed him.

"Um, teme… A little privacy?" Naruto scowled, determined not to show any more embarrassment than he already had.

"You should take a shower first. You still have a little blood on you." Sasuke said, still staring. He hadn't been about to give Naruto a bath, so there were places he had missed when wiping Naruto's body down with the damp cloth.

Naruto looked down and saw that Sasuke was right. He nodded and grabbed some clothes and went to the bathroom to do so. Now that he thought about it, he did feel pretty grimy all over.

As the water ran over his body, Naruto saw just how skinny he had become. God, he looked like a skeleton! He also noticed the scars all over his body. They were pretty much all tiny and barely noticeable, but Naruto didn't like them. _Where did all of these come from? I don't remember all of these scars from before… Before the mission. The mission… What exactly happened on the mission? I can't remember anything. The last thing I remember is laying down with Sasuke before I left, but things before that are pretty foggy too._

The water in the tub turned a shade of pink just a hair lighter than red as the blood washed off Naruto's body. It reminded him of blood… Blood.

Suddenly, all of his memories came flooding back all at once. They were such a jumble it was hard to differentiate them at first. They came back so fast it left him feeling dizzy. Naruto held on to the walls of the tub tightly, for fear of his legs giving out.

He remembered everything he'd done. Everything. Every moment of torture. Every word the Anbu had said while they did horrible things to him. Every pain. Every second of the genjutsu they must have put him under when he hadn't noticed. Every horrible thought he'd had while under the genjutsu, when he had stopped being able to pick out what was reality.

Everything.

Blood. There had been so much blood. Had he… killed them? Is that what the Hokage wanted to talk to him about?

Naruto began to tremble violently. Suddenly, the water that had felt so good just a minute ago felt too hot. Much too hot. It was almost a burning. It brought to mind the burning as the Kyuubi healed him time and time again. It also brought to mind the night Naruto had slashed those Anbu, again and again, and how Naruto had ran away through the rain.

Blood. There had been so much blood.

Naruto looked down at the water again, still running almost red. That did it.

Blood. All Naruto could see was blood. All he could think about was the blood. The blood that had splayed out of the Anbu's bodies as he sliced them with his claws. The blood that had covered him from head to toe afterward. That sick, disgusting blood.

Naruto jumped out of the shower as fast as possible and to the toilet, where he proceeded to lose anything that was left in his stomach. Even what he deposited in the toilet was red. He knew it was blood. He vaguely remembered lapping up some of the blood that had spilled over their necks, and licking it off his own body. The thought only made him puke harder, to the point where he was just dry heaving. When he was finally done, Naruto curled up on the floor in the fetal position, trying to hold himself together. He felt like he was falling apart.

_I'm a monster. Just like they said. I probably killed them. I drank their blood. What do I do now?_

_You should have killed them. _The same inner voice inside Naruto as last time spoke again, louder than before. _You should have bathed in their blood! Because no matter what, people are going to hate you! You will always be the monster to them! So why don't you act like one? _

"Shut up." Naruto whispered. He didn't have the strength to yell like last time. Unfortunately the voice didn't stay as quiet.

_They were right, you know. Everyone hates you. They'll never accept you. You'd just end up hurting them anyways. You'll always have this __**thing **__inside you. Admit it, you're scared you'll snap and end up killing them too, aren't you? All your friends? Especially Sasuke. Look at you just a bit ago, clinging to him for dear life. You just had to be sure that he was alive. That you hadn't killed him, like in that genjutsu. That he hadn't left you. You're scared that he's going to realize how much of a monster you really are, and that he'll hate you. And not just Sasuke, but all your other little friends as well. You know you can't keep them forever, so why even try?_

"Shut up. Just shut up." Naruto whispered again. But the voice still didn't shut up. It kept talking to him, taunting him relentlessly.

_You'll never get rid of me. You'll never get me to shut up. I am a part of you. I AM you._

Naruto stood up slowly to look in the mirror. He wanted to see if there were any red patches that he missed. The face that looked back at him didn't look like his own face.

His eyes were red. Cat-like. His face was so much thinner, with the cheekbones jutting out too much. The hair was too long, almost in his eyes and almost hitting his shoulders. Naruto blinked to make this… this **person **who obviously wasn't him go away. Thankfully, when he opened his eyes the red irises were gone, but everything else was the same.

Naruto stepped back into the shower, and began to soap himself up. He made sure to get his hair, as there were still some particularly stubborn bits of dried blood in it.

The water ran down his face so that even Naruto couldn't tell whether the wetness in his eyes were tears or not.

As expected, when Naruto exited the bathroom Sasuke was still on his bed, staring at the bathroom door. So when Naruto came out, Sasuke was staring at him. Again.

"Teme, why do you keep staring at me?" Naruto scowled, allowing no trace of embarrassment to show.

Sasuke answered, still staring. "You have scars all over you body. You're practically skin and bones. You're pale. Your hair's longer than it should be. You seem different. What happened?"

Naruto looked down, avoiding Sasuke's all-knowing eyes. "Nothing. Nothing at all." His voice was completely blank. Void of all emotion.

Sasuke sensed it immediately. He hated it. It wasn't like Naruto at all. It wasn't HIS Naruto's voice.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" Sasuke repeated, louder.

Naruto looked up and Sasuke almost gasped. His eyes… His eyes were… Dead. No emotion or life to be seen.

"Nothing. Now let it go. I'm going to see the Hokage now." With the same blank, dead voice, Naruto answered firmly. With that, Naruto left. Sasuke was too shocked to stop him.

* * *

><p>Naruto walked straight into the Hokage's office, as if he owned the place. His whole demeanor was casual, with his hands laced behind his neck, and his expression blank. No one bothered to stop him anymore, they had grown used to seeing Naruto, but they did stare. It had been a long time since Naruto had come to interrupt the Hokage, and those in the office wondered why.<p>

When Naruto opened the door to Tsunade's office this time there was no yelling, no slamming, no grandstanding, no boasting. Just business.

The Hokage's head snapped up from where she had been looking down at more paperwork, seeming irritated. But when she saw who it was her eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly. But she quickly gathered her wits and got out from behind her desk and slowly walked towards Naruto, who had stopped a few feet away from it. she got up in Naruto's face and spoke menacingly.

"What have you done, you idiot?"

* * *

><p><strong>So, you see that button down there? The one that says review? Please push it. I would love you if you did. I would be really, really happy. And who knows, it may make Sasuke and Naruto get together faster :wink wink: Let me know your thoughts about this chapter! I even accept criticism, as long as it's CONSTRUCTIVE and not mean. <strong>

**Thanks to everyone for supporting this fic! I love y'all! :D**


	11. Numb

**I'm not going to post the oneshot that's related to this fic just yet, I'm going to wait for my beta. That's if I post it... I've been having second thoughts... I'll see what my beta says...**

**EDIT: The oneshot is up, albeit unbeta-ed. Check it out if you so choose… pretty pretty please? Remember, it's related to this fic; can you remember where it was mentioned by Naru? **

**Thank you so much narutoluvr4evr for betaing this! I really appreciate it! XD This chapter is dedicated to you! **

**Disclaimer: I had a dream about Naruto a few weeks ago. I don't remember too much about it, but I do know it was really good! It was about Sasunaru! The only thing I remember for sure is Kakashi saying that Sasuke and Naruto had 'terrible' tension... But what kind of tension was it? Was it the good kind? GAH! It drove me crazy for days! Since then, I haven't had another one... Grrr... Anyways, even in my dreams, I didn't own Naruto. Whuch sucks. So that means that I need to dream about it some more!**

Naruto's eyes didn't even widen. He knew it was coming. He knew this would happen. He was prepared. A cool, impassive mask was firmly in place. But it still hurt, like a knife twisting deep into his heart. But he didn't let it show. His face remained blank.

That is, until Tsunade abruptly grabbed him into a hug. She clutched his shirt tightly and held him close. Naruto could feel her shoulders shaking, and the wetness seeping into his shoulder. Crying. She was crying. Why? And not just crying; she was _sobbing._

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Tsunade whispered between sobs.

Tsunade's sobs grew in volume, and maybe that's what possessed Naruto to hug her back. Her touch was comforting, almost motherly… Naruto stopped those thoughts before he started to feel something again. He couldn't allow that to happen.

It just served to remind Naruto that he had killed her. Her blood had splayed everywhere as he used his claws to slash her throat.

Naruto clutched Tsunade's shirt tighter. She's alive, he reminded himself. _That was an illusion._ _I didn't kill her. I didn't kill her. She's alive! She's alive! All of that was a genjutsu, remember? She's alive._

Tsunade held Naruto for about five more minutes before slowly stepping back, wiping her wet eyes, but still never leaving Naruto's face. Well, as much as she could, since Naruto had started looking down at his feet the second Tsunade ended the hug.

"Why the hell didn't you kill those fucking bastards?" Tsunade barked suddenly, her face twisting in anger.

"Wh-what?" Whatever Naruto had been expecting Tsunade to say, that was NOT it. He _must _have heard her wrong.

"I said, you should have killed those fucking Anbu bastards instead of leaving them only half dead!" Despite her angry, her lips curled upward a little at Naruto's expression. He was looking at her as if she had just sprouted a second head! If he didn't look like shit, it would've been pretty damn cute.

"Huh?" Naruto barely managed to choke out in shock.

"You didn't finish the job! The Anbu that did that to you are only half dead! Because of that, they're in the hospital instead of me kicking their asses for DARING to do that to you!"

"What… do you mean?" Naruto asked, totally confused now. It didn't make any sense. Wasn't he supposed to have been tortured like that? Wasn't that the price he had agreed to pay?

"Pay attention you brat! I'm saying that those assholes who did all that to you weren't supposed to, and WILL be punished for it. Severely. They didn't follow their orders, and thus will be stripped of their Anbu title. They will undergo a trial, and be found guilty, and go to jail." Tsunade took a deep breath to calm down. She was getting too riled up, and she was almost yelling and her words were running together a little bit. It was just, the thought of them doing those horrible things to her gaki… It made her want to strangle something.

"The four Anbu volunteered for this mission. The job I assigned them was just to put you under a genjutsu that would make you feel nothing, as if you were asleep. It was to be harmless and painless. But they obviously didn't listen. When I told them several months ago to make the genjutsu feel like more time was passing than really was, until it felt like for you that four years had passed, because I needed to get you out early for certain reasons, they put you under a much different type of genjutsu, but it still made it feel like more time was passing than actually was. Basically, you felt like you had been gone for four years, right?" Naruto nodded his head, and Tsunade continued. "And I assume it was something like a horrible nightmare, right?" Naruto nodded his head again. "When I went to pick you up from Anbu Headquarters I didn't know what had happened. I had no idea they had done those things to you. If I did, I would have killed them myself right then and there. But there was an emergency, and I had to leave early without you, since even after I dispelled the genjutsu you didn't snap out of it. You just lay there on the table, your eyes unfocused and dull. You didn't respond to anything. Anyway, I found out what really happened to you during the time you were at Anbu Headquarters when I was called over there to heal those assholes after you attacked them. Some Anbu that was familiar with the ones that were in charge of you told me all about it. He said they'd been bragging to the other Anbu about the things they were doing to you. After he told me, some other Anbu stepped forward and confessed they'd known about it too, backing up his story."

Naruto stood there, trying to make sense of everything Tsunade had told him. It was crazy. It was ironic. It was strangely comforting. Knowing that Tsunade, whom he now realized he thought of as a mother of sorts, was on his side. That she wasn't mad at him in any way for snapping like he had. The Anbu may have been disobeying direct orders, but that didn't mean they deserved to die. He was glad that he hadn't killed them, even if they had tried to kill him and tortured him mercilessly.

_Are you sure about that? You quite enjoyed ripping into them, if I recall correctly. _The voice whispered in Naruto's mind, causing him to jump slightly. Why was this happening now?

_Shut up! Just shut the fuck up and get out of my head! _Naruto struggled not to speak the words out loud. It was really hard not to, with the Hokage staring at him like that.

_Sorry, no can do. As long as you exist, with your feelings and emotions, I will be here to manipulate them._

Naruto grit his teeth, not bothering to respond. It would be pointless to get into an argument inside his own mind. It would only proceed to drive him crazy. But if the voice was able to talk to him when he was feeling strong emotions, then he'd just have to make sure he didn't.

"Are you okay?" Tsunade's voice snapped Naruto out of his thoughts, and he looked up. For the first time, she got a good look at Naruto's eyes. She couldn't help the small gasp that escaped through her lips at what she saw in them.

Naruto's eyes were… dead. Lifeless. Desolate. Blank. When Tsunade got a hold of those bastards who did this to her gaki, they were going to WISH Naruto had killed them! She'd hurt them more than Naruto ever had.

"What exactly did they do to you? What did they say to you?" Tsunade hissed.

Naruto's expression didn't change. His voice was as dead as his eyes, without any inflection. "It's fine, Baa-chan. It's all in the past."

"What did they do to you?" Tsunade repeated, raising her voice.

"I'm not going into details. It's done, and it's fine. Now, is that all?" There was still no emotion in Naruto's voice when he spoke. He had learned his lesson when the voice had started speaking again. If he felt things, it would come back. So, he just would have to force himself not to feel things. It was the only way. The voice wanted him to do bad things, horrible things that he would not do. If making himself go numb was the only way to keep it at bay, he'd gladly do it if it kept everyone safe. Even if the one he was keeping them safe from was himself.

Tsunade glared, but decided not to push the issue. She could tell by Naruto's rigid stance and clenched fists that he didn't want to talk about it, and _wouldn't _talk about it. She'd let him be for now, but sooner or later he _would _tell her what happened.

"Actually, no. There are some things I want to give you." Tsunade paused, hoping for a reaction, but there was none. Not even a widening of the eyes. Normally, Naruto would be grinning like an idiot at the mention of presents from Tsunade, and maybe even jumping up and down like a little kid. He loved presents. Tsunade sighed at the change in Naruto. Well, maybe this would bring a little light into his eyes…

"I am hereby promoting you to Chunin. I am hereby promoting you to jonin. I am hereby promoting you to Anbu." If it was possible, Naruto's face looked even more shocked than before. His eyes were as wide as they could possibly go, and his mouth hung open slightly. It was almost comical, and it make Tsunade smirk. But as quick as it come, it was gone, and the blank mask was back.

"…What? Why?" Was all Naruto could manage to turn into a coherent sentence. Did she even know what she was saying? Could the Hokage even do that? Just turn anyone she felt like into an Anbu?

"You're an Anbu now. After kicking those bastards out, we're a little short-handed. You're more than strong enough, Naruto. I know you can do it." Tsunade smiled. For a split second, she thought she could see a brief flash of the old Naruto in those blue eyes. In the blink of an eye, they went right back to that dead look, but it was something.

"Can the Hokage even do that?" Naruto asked, voicing his question.

"I can do whatever I want with _my _ninja! You're whatever rank I deem you to be capable of. The exams are just a flashy way for the Hokage to analyze a ninja's abilities. You are definitely capable of being an Anbu based on what I've seen. Any objections?"

Naruto shook his head. So the Hokage wanted him to be an Anbu. He could recognize the glint in her eyes; the Hokage was hiding something from him and planning something at the same time. There was a time when Naruto would have jumped for joy at the thought of ascending a rank, let alone three. But now… Now he didn't feel anything. To keep the pain at bay, to keep that voice at bay, Naruto could not allow himself to feel anything.

"You will not be given a vest or an Anbu uniform until right before you leave on your next mission, which will be shortly. You are not to tell anyone that you are now a Chunin, jonin, or Anbu until you are inducted publicly, which will be about a year from now. This needs to be top secret."

Naruto nodded, but then furrowed his brow. "Everyone? What about Sasuke? Can he come on missions with me?"

"No. He's to stay here in the village for three more years."

"But… You need more recruits for Anbu, right? Sasuke's at least as strong as me. He'd be perfect for it."

"No. I don't trust him enough to send him on long term missions, and outside of the village."

"Look, I… I think it would help to have him... with me. I-I don't want to be alone right now." Naruto looked down. He was doing his damndest to act like normal, to keep his mask in place, but it was hard. Having Sasuke on any future missions was important to him. He felt that as long as he was with Sasuke, he'd be more like his old self again.

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her forehead in frustration. _He can never make things easy, can he? _But if it was what he wanted…

"Alright, alright. If you say I can trust him, and he's that important to you, then I'll allow it. You did pay his debt, after all. You can tell him that he's an Anbu, but he can't tell anyone about him rising up in the ranks, just like you. He has to be kept a secret too."

Naruto gave a light smile. It was what he would have done before, he knew. Well, it would probably have been a lot bigger, but this was all he could muster right now.

"And don't worry about being reprimanded for this, Naruto. The reason I didn't knock on your door sooner was that I was busy with… well, covering up what you had done. I made it seem like self defense, which it basically was anyway. It was that, and paperwork."

Naruto nodded, feeling a bit relieved, despite himself. He hadn't thought about what would happen once word got out of what he had done to those Anbu. Thank God for connections with the Hokage.

Sensing the meeting was pretty much over, Naruto turned around and began to walk to the door to leave. He stopped when he heard Tsunade's voice, but didn't face her.

"I really am sorry, Naruto. You know that nothing they might have said to you is true, right? You're the hero of this village, and you're my gaki. So work on those eyes!" Her voice was low, but full of much more affection than usual. It almost made Naruto smile. Almost.

Naruto kept walking. This time, he didn't turn around.

Tsunade sighed again. She had a feeling things wouldn't end well. She had done this for Naruto's sake, but… Tsunade felt a whoosh of air and looked up to see a man with silver hair and half his face covered up in a navy mask.

"Kakashi, I didn't summon you, so what do you want?" Tsunade glared. She was NOT in the mood right now to deal with the lackadaisical ninja's attitude.

"I just happened to be walking by and I sensed Naruto's chakra. What's going on? I thought he was supposed to be gone for four years?"

"He was until the Akatsuki came looking for him again. They must be getting impatient. We had to get him out of there or else they would have found him. We need to get him out on missions. Naruto needs to be on the move as much as possible so that the Akatsuki don't find him. They CAN'T find him, Kakashi. I can't even imagine what would happen if they did."

"I see. That's quite a dramatic turn of events. Is the knucklehead okay?" There was a bit of concern in Kakashi's one visible eye.

"He's… different. You'll see what I mean soon. While you're here, I might as well tell you to keep an eye on him. I want you to accompany him on all his missions. I raised his rank to your level."

"Hmm. I suppose that would make things easier for him to move around. Leave it to me, Hokage-sama." Kakashi smiled and disappeared with a puff of smoke.

Tsunade wished she could do the same. This paperwork was going to be the death of her. But right now, she was more worried about Naruto than herself. _He'll be fine. That kid can bounce back from anything, even being pierced through the heart. He'll be fine. _But remembering those eyes… For the first time, Tsunade doubted Naruto, just a little bit.

When Naruto got back from the Hokage's office he found Sasuke cooking dinner. He must have been there longer than he thought. The raven stood over the counter, chopping up vegetables. He looked up when he heard the door open and saw Naruto smiling. He looked a little excited as he took off his shoes at the door.

It just… didn't seem right. Not after those dead, empty eyes he'd seen. There was no way that smile and excitement could be real; not after those eyes. Sasuke had always been able to tell when Naruto was lying; or anything that Naruto was feeling, for that matter. And right now, he could tell that the smile Naruto was sporting was the fakest thing in the world.

_Smile, _Naruto chanted in his head, _smile. _After seeing Tsunade's reaction to his eyes and appearance, he knew he must look pretty bad. He had to do better. He had to put on that mask that would keep everyone at ease, and in the dark at the same time. He could never let anyone see the pain behind these eyes. He could never let them see how empty he was inside; or worse, the downright pain. So he'd take a cue from Sasuke and put on a mask that was just like how he used to act. He smiled like an idiot and looked casual at the same time.

It was getting easier. Naruto acted just like normal, watching Sasuke cook and asking him questions about what happened while he was gone on the "mission." He called Sasuke a teme, just like old times. It was almost comforting.

As far as Naruto knew, Sasuke had no idea that he wasn't feeling anything at all. That he was numb inside, as an alternative to pain. It kept the voice inside his head from speaking. It kept the memories from the genjutsu at a minimum- of him digging his claws into Sasuke's pale flesh.

It was so odd to think that one year had passed since he had last sat in this chair and ate dinner with Sasuke. A year felt like such a short time and the longest time to Naruto. It felt like four years had passed, and it was still a little hard to comprehend that it had actually only been one. Naruto quickly decide that he was grateful for whatever the reason had been for Tsunade and the council allowing him to get out of the "mission" early. It meant he had more time with his friends, and more time with the teme.

Naruto wasn't that surprised by how little Sasuke knew about the happenings of Konoha. He hadn't kept up with any of the other rookies, and didn't know about their going-ons. Apparently, Sasuke had kept to himself, just doing his D-rank missions and training. _Typical teme, _Naruto thought. He'd have to work on socializing him.

"So teme, I have something to tell you!" Naruto said happily as he dug into the meal Sasuke had made, which had fish and vegetables. Even though he was doing his best to keep his emotions at a minimum, he still felt the urge to gag at eating them. Guess some things will never change.

"Hn. Is it what you mentioned to me before you left?" Sasuke hadn't forgotten the night before Naruto left, and how the blonde had said he had something to tell him when he got back. It had kept Sasuke up at night on numerous occasions, thus pissing him off, and he was ready to know.

"Uh, no, it's something else. Anyway, you're an Anbu now! You can leave the village! Isn't that great!" Naruto shouted, standing up from his chair.

"Hn." Sasuke shrugged. The news surprised him, but he didn't let it show. He honestly didn't care that much whether he be allowed to leave the village or not. The bottom line was, if he wanted to leave the village, he would. He was strong enough to get past any village guards or Anbu in his way. But the one thing that kept him here was a blonde haired and blue eyed idiot.

"Hey! Be more grateful, teme! You don't know what I went through to make that happen!" Naruto huffed. He was just teasing though. He never wanted Sasuke to _actually _know what he had gone through. He honestly had no idea how Sasuke would react, so he figured it be best to just avoid that conversation entirely.

"Whatever. Being an Anbu doesn't interest me that much. I already know my own strength, and I don't particularly care for this village, so why should I risk my life in something I don't believe in?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes, challenging Naruto.

"Because I'll be there. I'm an Anbu too, now, and I'll be getting missions very soon." Naruto challenged back. His mask betrayed nothing of the nervousness he felt in the pit of his stomach. Why? Why did Sasuke's answer mean so much to him? Why were his palms sweating?

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're capable of that, dobe?"

"Of course I am! I'm going to be the next Hokage!" Naruto shouted, and his face grew red with anger. It was what he would have done before.

"Yes, yes," Sasuke rolled his eyes,"I meant are you capable of going on a mission right now? Are you sure you're in good enough shape?"

Naruto quieted down. "I'm fine. So, are you in or not?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Nope." Naruto smirked.

Sasuke smirked back. "Well, I suppose that's a good enough reason."

"_Karin! Run!" An old man shouted as he collapsed. The claws were descending, and would slam down any second. The old man couldn't do on, but there was still hope for his granddaughter._

"_No! Grandpa, I won't leave you!" The little brown-haired girl sobbed. She was too young to understand what was going on, and what would happen if she stayed with her grandfather. She tugged on her grandfather's outstretched hand, trying to get him to stand up and run away with her, but it was impossible. The old man couldn't move anymore. He just didn't have the strength to keep on going. His wife, son, and daughter in law were all dead at the hands of that wretched monster. The only thing that had kept him alive this long was the glimmer of hope that his one and only granddaughter could get out of this alive._

"_Karin, it's too late for me! Just run! Get away from here!" The old man yelled in a feeble attempt to save his grandchild's life._

"_NO!" The little girl, Karin, shouted and tugged on the hand even harder._

"_Do as I say! RUN!" The claws were right above them now, hovering dangerously overhead. It was only a matter of when they would decide to strike._

"_NO! I wanna stay with you!" Karin whined and sobbed as she kept pulling on that pale, wrinkled hand._

_The old man looked up just in time to see the red claws beginning to come closer and closer, lower and lower at an alarming pace._

"_KARIN!" The old man shouted with his last breath, and pushed his granddaughter just in time. The large red paw came down on the old man with a loud __**THUD, **__followed by a __**squish **__as he was crushed. The blood spread around the red paw, turning it an even darker ruby, which glistened in the moonlight beautifully._

_The beast watched the exchange between the old man and his granddaughter with a smirk on its red, twisted face. It was amusing, watching those pitiful humans that knew without a doubt that they were about to die. But the girl's screams were getting annoying. She didn't appreciate the beauty of the blood in the moonlight._

"_AAAAHHHHH!" The little girl let out a high-pitched squeal as she watched the last remaining person she loved in the world die horribly, just like all the rest._

_Her screams were cut short as she met the same end as her grandfather a few seconds later._

"GAAAAAHHHHH!" Naruto's screams merged with the little girl of his dreams.

Sasuke shot up in bed, immediately reaching for the kunai he kept hidden underneath his pillow. He relaxed slightly when he realized it was only Naruto screaming, but then saw that Naruto was having another nightmare. He was flailing around, kicking and screaming. The blankets were almost completely off the bed now.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Naruto screamed and grabbed at the air.

"Dobe! Hey dobe! Wake up!" Sasuke went to Naruto's bed and shook his blonde teammate. This only succeeded in making Naruto kick harder, however, and he landed a kick to Sasuke's abdomen.

"What the hell, dobe! Wake the hell up!" Sasuke yelled over Naruto's screaming as he tried to regain his balance. _I thought he didn't have nightmares if he was sleeping in the same room as someone? So why is he having one right now, and why is it worse than the ones he had before?_

"GAAAAHHHH!" Naruto screamed again, and clutched at his head, as if it hurt.

Seeing that yelling wasn't going to do anything, Sasuke decided to try a different approach. A gentler approach. He stepped closer to the bed and softly wove his hands through the blonde spikes that was Naruto's hair. He murmured quietly, whispering softly "I'm here. I'm here usuratonkachi. It's me. I'm here. It's okay. You can wake up now. Shhhh. Relax. I'm here."

Slowly, Naruto stopped moving. His hands fell to his sides, limp. His mouth, which had been opened in a silent scream, closed. His eyes that had been scrunched up in pain relaxed, and then fluttered before opening. The blue was so bright that Sasuke could even see it in the dark room, and his eyes widened. But they were nothing like Naruto's eyes, which were as wide as saucers and looked wide awake. His breathing was erratic, and loud enough to almost be called panting.

"Sasuke?" Naruto whispered, sounding almost unsure that the name he uttered could really be there. His eyes, which were easy to track due to their brightness, moved to the hand that was still entwined in his hair, which was damp with sweat by now.

It was then that Sasuke realized what he was doing. He had just been comforting Naruto. Like a child. What the fucking hell? Sasuke stared at his luminescent still buried in the golden spikes, but didn't move it. Strangely, he didn't want to. And Sasuke would always do what he wanted to.

"You were having a nightmare. You were screaming so loud it woke me up." Sasuke stated simply, but he still did not retract his hand. He quite liked the feeling of the spikes, which were a lot softer than they looked. Without realizing it, his fingers started stroking them in an absentminded gesture, much like one stroking a cat.

"Yeah. You're voice woke me up. It pulled me out of it." Naruto smiled one of those rare smiles of his that even though it didn't take up his whole like they usually did, it was smaller and more controlled, but it meant so much more. It was so, so beautiful. Especially after seeing those horribly fake smiles Naruto had had plastered to his face the entire day.

"Hn. Well, I'll be going back to bed now." Sasuke hesitantly removed his hand from Naruto's golden locks and stepped back. He did it slowly, oh so slowly, as if anticipating something. As if he were hoping for something. But when he turned around and what he was secretly hoping for still did now happen, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach emerged. He was just about to step into his futon when it happened, what he had been waiting for, happened.

Naruto leaned over the bed, almost falling off, and clutched Sasuke's night shirt. He could see the black eyes staring back at him, piercingly, as if they were daring him to say what he wanted to say. So he said it.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered, "stay with me." He hated the desperation in his voice, but said it anyways. He just couldn't bear to have another one of those nightmares, and he knew Sasuke would keep them away. "Don't go…"

To Naruto's surprise, Sasuke didn't smack his hand away. Instead, he smirked and said haughtily "I'm not going anywhere. I live here now."

Sasuke stepped over to Naruto's bed and waited for Naruto to move over and make room for him. But Naruto was so shocked that Sasuke was actually doing this that he was frozen in place, basically, just sitting there with his eyes wide.

"Usuratonkachi. Move. I slept with you for three days; I know we can both fit on there." Sasuke ordered, as if this were an everyday occurance.

Snapping out of his shocked paralysis, Naruto obeyed and scooted over to leave enough room for Sasuke. The raven climbed in and lay down. It was a tight squeeze, but they managed.

Naruto smiled to himself, basking in the moment. For a brief minute, he allowed himself to feel whatever he wanted, which at this second was pure and utter joy. He had no idea he could feel this happy. Sasuke… It was all thanks so Sasuke. He didn't allow himself to think about anything else but this joy—not the threat of the voice showing up, not of what was going on with his body, not the possibilities of what could happen on his upcoming missions. Those worries could wait until the next day. Right now, he would only focus on Sasuke, and how simply _right _this felt to be with him.

Naruto scooted closer, entwining his legs with Sasuke. He knew he was being greedy, but why not? He knew this happiness wouldn't last, so why not milk it for all it was worth?

Sasuke smirked and wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist, adding even more to Naruto's joy than the blonde thought possible.

Neither noticed the dark presence silently watching them through the window, as it was invisible.

The last thing either of them heard before the fall into sleep was Naruto whispering with a shaky breath, "Thank you."

**So, even if this chapter may have sucked and had mistake after mistake, I still want you guys to review!**

**EDIT: It's beta-ed now! :D**

**Remember, I don't mind constructive criticism! I wanna know your thoughts on this chapter, even any problems you have with it. So please, please review! It would make me super duper happy! I'd love you! And I've decided that the person who gives me my fiftieth review will get an extra special prize, so keep reviewing! I would like to get to fifty reviews by chapter thirteen! So, who's gonna be my fiftieth reviewer? :D**


	12. Monster

**So here's the next chapter... Hmmm... Not quite sure if I'm happy with it or not... I just... I dunno... I'm sorry if it sucks... But it's betaed, so that helps.**

**Lol, this is the second time I'm uploading this chapter because the first time I uploaded it my laptop died JUST as I pushed the submit chapter button. I was a little unsure of whether the chapter got uploaded or not, but I got the email, and so I figured if it had, I'd be getting some reviews. But when I didn't get any, I was sad, and so when I logged on just now I figured I'd have to reupload it... But I did get reviews! I'm happy! So I shall reply once I am done with this.**

**Thanks to my awesome, wonderful beta, narutoluvr4evr, for making this better than it was! GRACIAS! XD**

**In THREE acts of shameless self promotion this time, I want to mention the oneshot that goes with this fic. It's up, albeit unbetad, which I will fix eventually, and titled Just An Indirect Kiss. Please check it out, if you don't mind. I'd love you even more if you did! And now, I'm doing two fics at once. I am also writing a Blue Exorcist fic. Yes, it's Okumuracest. Shut up, Twincest is WINcest! They're cute together! So if you like that, please pretty please with a cherry on top take a gander at that too! :D The last thing I need to mention for my own benefit is I'm entering that one SJAlpha contest were you have to show your SJ love, and people have to vote for a picture that you post. I'm gonna post a pic of most of my SJ manga and anime collection, and I would love you time a trillion if anyone on here that does SJAlpha voted for me. My name on the website is the exact same one as on here, gothpandaotaku. Wow, I really do feel shameless now, lol. I am not above begging, it seems.**

**Okay, the last thing I want to mention before the disclaimer is that I am a beta now. Lol, I know, and I was saying I had all those beta troubles... I just find it hard to beta my own stuff, ya know? I can do grammer and stuff for the most part, but the editing of the story... I need someone else. Anyway, the fic I'm betaing, Who I've Been All Along , is awesome and you should read it. Just saying. It's Sasunaru!**

**Disclaimer: I own nada... I just like to mess around with things.**

* * *

><p><em>So that's how it gets duck-butt shaped. <em>Naruto lay in bed, watching Sasuke sleep. The raven lay flat on his back, and his hair was all scrunched up on the pillow, giving it its signature duck-butt style.

Sasuke still had his arms around Naruto's waist, who was now half on top of Sasuke; the blond must have rolled on him during the night. Sasuke hadn't let go of him all night. His breathing was deep and even, that of sleep, so Naruto's weight didn't seem to affect him at all; Naruto was very light, lighter than before.

Sasuke's face was so peaceful, so different from when he was awake. Naruto was suddenly very glad that he had asked Sasuke to sleep with him, even if it had been the single most embarrassing thing in his life, if it meant he could see Sasuke like this.

Naruto stared at Sasuke's sleeping face. He really hadn't changed at all in the year Naruto had been gone. His face was the same, but his hair was a little longer. Other than that, nothing was different. He even wore the same black clothes.

Naruto smiled to himself, feeling a warmth radiate throughout his chest. He knew Sasuke hadn't relaxed like this in front of anyone else; he hadn't let anyone but Naruto this peaceful face, he hadn't embraced anyone but him like this. It made Naruto so happy… maybe… maybe there was hope…

_Hope? There's no such thing._

_Shut the fuck and get out of my head! _Naruto shouted internally.

_How many times do I have to tell you? I'm here for good._

_Shut the fuck up._

_No. Anyways, do you honestly think that he cares about you? That you're special to him?_

_I don't know if I'd go that far, but… but we're obviously close!_

_Oh please. This is nothing to him. He doesn't care about you. He doesn't love you. NO ONE would ever love a monster like you._

_Who said anything about love? We're friends! I know it!_

_Friends? That's an illusion. This little thing you have here with him won't last much longer. When he learns just how much of a monster you really are, he'll leave you again._

_Shut up!_

_He'll think you're evil._

_NO! SHUT UP!_

_He'll hate you! He may even try to kill you!_

_SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! _Naruto chanted in his head until he felt the voice fade away. Then, he shut down. He allowed the numbness that he had let go before come back. Emptiness replaced the warmth in his chest. He knew the voice had spoken because he had been happy; he had felt a strong emotion. He wouldn't let it happen again.

Still, he let himself fall into a different kind of numbness, that of sleep. He felt himself fading…

BANG BANG BANG

Both boys in the small bed groaned simultaneously, but didn't move.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

Both boys in the small bed sunk lower into the sheets, as if ignoring the banging completely would make it go away. That theory was proved wrong when the door was kicked down.

Both boys in the small bed squeezed their eyes shut tighter, determined not to open them. Both Naruto and Sasuke had a feeling what would be waiting for them if they did. But when Naruto heard a gasp that he recognized very well, and his guess was proved correct, he reluctantly pried a cerulean eye open.

Naruto and Sasuke's pink haired teammate stood in front of the small bed they were laying in, her mouth hanging open in shock, and a light blush on her cheeks. Seeing her expression, Naruto realized what it looked like. He was in bed. With Sasuke. Half naked (wait, when did that happen?). With Sasuke. His arms and legs were tangled with Sasuke's. Sasuke's arms were wrapped around his waist. Heck, he was practically on top of Sasuke. Sasuke's _bare chest,_ that is. Which his head was resting on. Naruto almost jumped a little when the chest vibrated with Sasuke's voice.

"Go away, Sakura." Sasuke mumbled, not bothering to open his eyes. He was still half asleep.

"W-why…Why are you two… What's…" Sakura paused, taking a mental picture. She had no idea what was going on, but she knew she didn't want to forget it. She was pretty sure she didn't _want _to know what was going on, either, but there had to be a reasonable explanation for it, right? But they were cute together… "Anyways, WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE BACK? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE EVEN GOING ON A MISSION, EITHER? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THIS MISSION?"

Naruto blinked. He'd kinda forgotten about Sakura. But why was she so mad? It's not like they told each other about every single mission they went on.

"Ummm… Because it didn't really matter? I didn't think you'd care! It was just a mission, Sakura-chan! GAAAH! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me! I'm too young and good-looking to die!"

Sakura had moved closer, her arm outstretched. Naruto knew what that usually meant- near death. So he begged for his life, sure that Sakura was going to kill him for… well, whatever reason she was so pissed off about. He was quite taken aback when the outstretched hand didn't strike him, but instead patted his hair softly.

Sakura smiled, her expression gentle. She stroked Naruto's hair a few times and whispered, "I'm glad you're back, idiot. I missed you." _His hair's really long now…_

Sasuke finally managed to force an eye open when he felt Naruto tense up in his arms. He was still pissed off about having his sleep interrupted _again, _and glared at whatever dared to do so. The scene that awaited him only made him glare harder. He saw Sakura, leaning over Naruto, and stroking her fingers through the blonde spikes. He saw Naruto blushing, looking embarrassed but content at the same time. HIS Naruto. When the pink-haired member of Cell Number Seven whispered to Naruto, something inside Sasuke snapped.

Sasuke held Naruto tighter and rolled over, taking Naruto with him, so that his back was to Sakura and Naruto was on his other side, _away _from Sakura. Both Sakura and Naruto wore matching expressions of shock, but Naruto's blush grew a little deeper. Sasuke glared at Sakura and spoke in a low voice, almost menacingly, "Go. Away. I don't like to be woken up by my door being broken down."

"Sasuke! What the hell are you doing? And what do you mean _your _door? This is my house! I'm just an awesome person that's allowing you to stay here _temporarily!" _Naruto wiggled around, trying to get out of Sasuke's grasp, but the raven wouldn't let him go. He just rolled his eyes at Naruto's words. He knew the blonde was just embarrassed, and trying to cover up just how embarrassed he really was.

"Did you forget when you practically asked me to move in with you, dobe?" Sasuke smirked.

"I don't know what you're talking about! Let me go! And quit being so mean to Sakura-chan!" Naruto huffed as he finally succeeded in prying Sasuke's arms from around him. He grabbed Sakura's hand and led her to the kitchen area.

"Come on, Sakura-chan, do you want some breakfast?" Sakura smiled and followed Naruto, but not before turning around to smirk at Sasuke.

Sasuke glared back. _What the hell was that all about? _He continued to glare at Sakura's back as she walked on. He laid there for about a minute, imagining ways to get Sakura to just _leave _and allow him some peace and quiet, before he got up and grudgingly followed. What awaited him only made him glare even harder.

Sakura and Naruto were at the counter, laughing. Naruto was cracking some eggs into a bowl, while Sakura talked, telling him about everything he'd missed while he was away. Everything that Sasuke didn't' know, and couldn't tell Naruto.

Sakura sensed Sasuke's icy glare, and turned around. She had a smile that Sasuke was 99.9 percent sure was fake. "Oh, Sasuke-kun, you're up. Did you want some breakfast?"

"… Hn." Sasuke took a seat at the table and rubbed his eyes, still slightly drowsy. He'd been sleeping a lot harder ever since Naruto had gotten back, damn dobe. It made harder to wake up in the morning.

"That means yes. Don't mind him, he's just a grouch when he wakes up," Naruto smirked.

Sakura laughed, the high-pitched cackle grating on Sasuke's nerves. She touched Naruto's arm, and he grit his teeth.

When the food was done, they sat down to eat, Naruto in the middle. Sakura kept babbling about Konoha and their friends, and Sasuke tuned her out. That didn't mean he didn't notice when Sakura suddenly reached over and touched Naruto's hair.

"Your hair's gotten really long. You should let me cut it for you." Naruto's eyes widened, and he blushed a little bit. He wasn't used to Sakura being so nice to him. What the hell was going on with her? But he didn't let it get to him, lest the voice start speaking. So he just did what he would have done before.

"Since when do you know how to cut hair, Sakura-chan?"

"Hmph! I cut my hair in the middle of battle! And Ino showed me how to do a little bit. Besides, your hair didn't really have a style anyway. It was just spiky, like bedhead!" Sakura ruffled Naruto's hair to demonstrate her point.

Naruto chuckled. "Sure, Sakura-chan. I'd be happy to let you cut my hair. Just don't mess up my good looks!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, but laughed. She stopped when Sasuke suddenly slammed his hands on the table loudly as he stood up. Sakura and Naruto stared at him, shocked. Even Sasuke looked a little shocked that he had actually done that. He had just been so pissed to see Sakura touching Naruto like that, as if she actually _cared _about him…

"We're out of milk. I'll go get some." Sasuke muttered, then walked out the door quickly.

"What was that about?" Sakura asked when Sasuke was gone.

"I'm not sure… maybe he was pissed about the door of something?" Naruto really had no clue as to why Sasuke was acting so weird. He was just good at reading the raven's emotions, and he could tell that Sasuke had been tense ever since Sakura walked into the room, and pissed when he had sat down at the table.

As they ate their food, Naruto learned a lot of things from his teammate. He learned that Shikamaru was now a jounin, and was dating Temari. That would have really surprised Naruto if he had allowed himself to be; he hadn't expected Shikamaru to act on anything that he deemed 'troublesome'. Kiba was still a Chunin, and Akamaru had gotten bigger. Ino was still a Chunin, and still helping out the family's flower shop; she was doing that more often lately. Lee was a jounin too now, and always on missions with Gai-sensei. Neji was an Anbu now, and on missions most of the time. Hinata was a Chunin, and went on missions with some of her old teammates. Shino was also a jounin now, and still as quiet as ever. Temari was a Chunin, and inventing weapons in her spare time. Sai was still going on missions with Sakura and Kakashi; they were a good team, so they decided to stay together.

Naruto was impressed with how far his friends had come in only a year. A part of him that must have been left over from before the "mission" wanted to tell Sakura and all his friends that he was an Anbu now too, and was one giant step closer to being Hokage. But the rational side, which had grown bigger due to the fact that he wasn't feeling anything most of the time anyway, knew that he shouldn't; the Hokage had been clear that Naruto's Anbu status was to be kept confidential until he officially entered the ranks a year from now. Not even other Anbu could know.

So Naruto kept his mouth shut, and vowed to congratulate his friends later. Sakura said they'd all been wondering almost as much as her about where Naruto had been for a little over a year. Kiba had especially pissed that Naruto hadn't said anything to him before he left. _That sounds like Kiba. Looks like I'll have to make it up to him somehow… It's what I would have done before, right?_

"Hey, how did you find out that I was back, anyway?" Naruto asked after swallowing a mouthful of food. Sakura had already bonked him on the head once for eating with his mouth full, and he didn't want to get another bump. Strangely, the pain in his stomach was almost non-existent. He could eat a lot more, ever since he got back. _I wonder why that is?_

"I went to speak with the Hokage about something, and she told me. I ran around telling some of the other's from our year before coming here, so they'll probably come to visit too!" Sakura smirked a little when she saw Naruto's face fall.

"Oh, great, more people that might break my door down," Naruto groaned.

Sakura laughed. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay. I probably should have told you that I'd be gone for a long time."

"You leave without telling me again and I swear I'll kill you." Sakura narrowed her eyes. Naruto wasn't as good at reading the other member of Cell Number Seven from his year; he was much better at reading Sasuke, but he could tell she was dead serious.

"Y-yeah…" Naruto gulped.

"We were all worried, you know! We missed you! It wasn't the same without you!"

Naruto gave a warm smile that Sakura had no idea was fake. Unlike Sasuke, she couldn't tell a single thing was wrong with Naruto.

Sasuke groaned inwardly. He didn't let the groan escape through his lips, of course, because it would betray the calm mask he had on. But he couldn't stop thinking about what he had done back there… and what Sakura had done to make him act like that. _How could I just freak out like that? Why does that dobe affect me so much? _Naruto always had, and Sasuke had a feeling that he always would.

Sasuke walked into the supermarket and made a beeline for the milk. Even if this had been an impromptu trip, he might as well get what he came here for. He grabbed the milk carton and was just about to head to the check-out counter when he saw something that made him freeze in place.

Almost every single member from his year at the academy was standing in front of him.

Kiba. Hinata. Ino. Shikamaru. Every single one of them stood there with their arms crossed, blocking his path. There was an awkward silence as Sasuke stared at them with his usual bored expression, waiting for them to say something. Kiba frowned when Sasuke didn't say anything after a whole minute, and full out glared when the raven crossed his own arms, almost in a challenge. Unable to take it anymore, Kiba was the first to speak up.

"We heard Naruto was back," Kiba said in a half growl.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes when Naruto was mentioned. He nodded his head to show acknowledgement, not offering any more information until they did first.

"Why was he gone so long? What happened?" Kiba raised his voice a little, and a few shoppers stopped and stared.

"He was on a mission, as I'm sure you've been told." He was reluctant to say anything more, as the other rookie ninja from his year hadn't exactly welcomed him back with open arms. That, and he didn't want to have this conversation in the middle of a supermarket where others could overhear.

"What kind of mission takes a whole year when you're still technically a genin?" Kiba raised the volume a little. Apparently he was the mouthpiece for the whole group.

"It's none of your business," Sasuke replied coldly.

"Bullshit! We're his friends! We have a right to know!" Kiba shouted. More people stared.

"If he wanted you to know, he'd tell you." Sasuke gritted his teeth. He didn't like the little audience they had now.

"Fine! Then we'll just have to ask him!"

Sasuke groaned internally again. This day was just getting so much better… It should have started out promising, waking up next to Naruto, but Sakura breaking the door to their house down kind of ruined that. Since then, things had only gone downhill.

"There's really no need." It was really hard to keep the irritation out of his voice.

"We'll be the judge of that, won't we?" Kiba barked. The other ninja next to him nodded their heads.

"There's REALLY no need for you to do that." Sasuke clenched the fist that wasn't holding the milk carton. It was getting REALLY hard not to punch Kiba.

"We just want to make sure Naruto's okay." Sasuke could tell the brunette was serious, but his tone was taunting, which REALLY pissed him off.

"He's. Fine," Sasuke kinda-sorta lied. He had an inkling that something was wrong with the blonde, but there was no way he was dragging anyone else into it. He'd find out what was going on himself.

"We'll. See," Kiba repeated, gritting his teeth much like Sasuke.

It took most of Sasuke's self control not to punch Kiba in that smirking face. It wouldn't be good to have another meltdown in the same supermarket as before. People already looked at him with enough hatred.

"C'mon guys! To Naruto's house!" Kiba yelled. The whole time Sasuke paid for the milk he had to grip his sleeve to keep from punching Kiba.

Sasuke stepped through the opening (where there_ should_ have been a door, damn you, Sakura!) to find Sakura in front of Naruto, who was sitting in a chair, brushing his shoulder off. His _bare _shoulder. Naruto didn't have his shirt on. Sasuke's tense and angry aura increased tenfold instantly. He saw the scissors and knew that Sakura was only cutting Naruto's hair like she had promised, but that didn't seem to make a difference. Sasuke stopped in his tracks when the scene came into view, almost causing Kiba to bump into him, and thus, the others following Kiba.

_Don't use the sharingan… don't use the sharingan… don't… _Sasuke didn't know why he was angry, he just knew he was. He didn't care to connect that dots that he had only grown angry upon seeing Sakura touch Naruto.

"What's the big idea? Why'd you stop? And why's there no door?" Kiba shouted, alerting Naruto and Sakura and snapping Sasuke out of his thoughts. He stepped inside the room more to allow everyone else to come in, and glared pointedly at Sakura. Kiba took the hint and muttered "I gotcha."

Naruto turned to Sasuke with wide eyes. "Looks like you brought home a lot more than milk."

"Hn." Sasuke shrugged. It was out of his control now.

"So what the heck are you guys doing here?" Naruto asked as he stood up. Sakura touched Naruto's (very nice, despite being very thin right now) abs to brush off some more hair off and Sasuke clenched the bag that held the milk tighter. Naruto didn't' flinch or react to the touch at all. Sasuke didn't quite know how he felt about that. Wait a minute, why was he even thinking about this?

"We heard you were back and wanted to see you, you idiot!" Kiba stepped over to Naruto and punched Naruto on his head hard enough that rivaled Sakura.

"Ow! What was that for?" Naruto yelled, holding his head. Then one by one the rest of his classmates came and did the same thing (except Hinata) so fast he couldn't stop it. There had to be a huge bump by now, Naruto thought, as he held his injured head. "WHY!"

"You're an idiot!"

"Why didn't you tell us you were leaving again?"

"Why were you gone so long?"

"A-are you okay, N-Naruto-kun?"

"BAKA!"

"Troublesome idiot."

"You could at least have told us you'd be gone a long time!"

"OKAY, OKAY, You missed my lovely face! But I'm back, so you can chill out now!" Naruto shouted over all the yelling of his former classmates, silencing every one of them.

"So, dude, what was up with your absence and why didn't you tell us? Why were you gone so long? Are you okay? You do look kinda pale and sick like, why is that? How did the mission go? Was it a success? And why is that bastard here?" Kiba finally took a breath from his rapid questioning to point a finger at Sasuke accusingly.

Naruto sighed. He had NOT been looking forward to explaining his absence. He hadn't been prepared for this interrogation; he had no idea what to say other than what he had already told Sakura. It's not that he didn't' want to see his friends; he did, but on his own terms. Being ambushed like this wasn't his idea of being on his own terms, even if it was his own house.

"One- I was on a mission, obviously, and it was very last minute so I couldn't tell anyone. Two- I was gone a long time because that was just how long the mission took. I actually thought I'd be gone a lot longer. Three- I'm fine, nothing's wrong. Four-The mission was fine. Five- I guess you could say it was… Six- Sasuke lives here for now, I am oh so graciously allowing him into my home because I am an awesome person." Naruto answered Kiba's questions one by one. He knew they weren't going to appease him for long, due to their evasive nature, but hopefully they'd satisfy him for now. It had been enough for Sakura, so hopefully it'd be enough for all the rest too.

Kiba nodded his head. He found it odd that Naruto had been gone for so long on a mission when he was still technically just a genin, but didn't say anything. Naruto hadn't told them when he left on his training journey with Jiraiya, so why would he tell them about this?

The others that had followed Sasuke to Naruto's house seemed to accept this answer. It seemed plausible enough to them. That is, for all but Shikamaru. He was, as everyone knew, a bit smarter than the average bear and knew there was something suspicious about Naruto's absence. He would talk to Naruto about it later, hopefully, if he got a chance to before his next mission. Genin just did not leave on a mission that was over a year long, no matter the circumstances. Either Naruto had gotten secretly promoted or something fishy was going on.

"So, you were finally putting the skills I taught you to good use, billboard-brow?" Ino smirked, watching as Sakura swept up the golden hair on the floor.

The pink-haired kunoichi glared at her bleach-blonde friend, but didn't say anything. She was determined to appear more mature in Naruto and Sasuke's eyes (the raven especially).

Ino seemed surprised at her lack of response, but shrugged it off.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan was nice for once and offered to cut my hair, since it had gotten really long on my mission." Naruto grinned. Ino took a good look at Naruto to see how her friend had done on her first haircut, and was secretly impressed. Naruto's hair was much like before, nice and spiky and wild, but it framed his face in a way it hadn't before. It made him look a bit more mature. Ino certainly noticed Naruto's very nice abs too, and stared openly. Naruto didn't notice, and asked "So, how did she do? Do I look good, or do I look good?"

"What do you mean 'for once'? I'm always nice! I'm a nice person!" Sakura said defensively, and glared when Ino snickered at her.

"I didn't mean it that way, Sakura-chan! You're nice! You're really nice! You're the nicest person I know!" Naruto said quickly, a little scared for his life at what Sakura might do to him. Just because she had been nice before and hadn't hit him yet didn't meant that she wouldn't.

Sasuke's hand clenched the bag with the milk even tighter.

"Hmph!" Was Sakura's only response, but she seemed satisfied with Naruto's quick answer. The blonde breathed a sigh of relief before grabbing his shirt off of the table and putting it back on. Sasuke found himself disappointed. So did Ino. Even Sakura seemed a little sad to see the tan skin go. But Naruto remained oblivious. Hinata was still blushing furiously, as she had been since the moment she stepped through the door and caught sight of the half naked Naruto.

"Listen, Naruto, we had another reason for coming here." Kiba spoke up, apparently still the mouthpiece of the group.

"And what would that be?"Naruto sat on the table, the tiny room cramped with so many people in it. Sasuke moved closer to Naruto so that he wouldn't have to touch anyone else; most of the others in the room were touching each other's shoulders it was so cramped.

"We're going to have a party for you! To welcome you back to Konoha! It'll be at the usual barbeque place!" Kiba said excitedly, obviously grateful for any excuse to party. The others smiled, thinking that Naruto would be whooping like an idiot at the idea of a party. But Naruto's reaction was much different than they had anticipated.

Naruto just looked… shocked. His eyes were wide, not believing what he had heard. Why would anyone throw a party for him? No one had ever done that before. Certainly not on his birthdays, when the whole village had been in mourning for the ones they had lost on the day the Kyuubi had run rampant. The villagers had been even nastier to him than usual on that day, so he usually just stayed holed up in his home. Even when the village had begun to mostly accept him, he had never had something like this happen to him. Even Sasuke seemed a little surprised; well, as surprised as he would allow himself to look, which wasn't much other than the slight widening of his eyes.

"Why would you do that?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Because you're our friend, duh!" Kiba looked at Naruto like he was stupid.

"We want to celebrate your r-return, N-Naruto-k-kun," Hinata stuttered again, a habit she had mostly grown out of, when Naruto turned to look at her. She blushed brightly and looked away.

Ino nodded her head. "Yeah, so just accept and show up to the party!"

"Shino, Lee, Neji, Tenten, and Choji are on missions right now, but they'll be here in time for the party. It's tomorrow night, right?" Shikamaru turned to Kiba for confirmation, who nodded his head.

Naruto blushed and rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "I don't know what to say, guys. No one's ever thrown me a party before… So… Thank you very much." His blush grew deeper as he spoke.

They all laughed at Naruto's obvious embarrassment, but didn't say anything. They all knew why Naruto had never had a party before, and felt bringing up the subject wasn't a good idea.

"It sounds like fun!" Everyone in the room turned to see Kakashi appearing with a poof in an available spot of the room.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei! Long time no see!" Naruto smiled. He was glad to see his old sensei. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen him.

"How's it going, Naruto?" Kakashi smiled and observed his former student. He seemed well enough. Maybe a bit too thin, but nothing alarming. The only thing that bothered him was the aura surrounding the blonde. Kakashi was very, very good at reading people, and Naruto was no problem. He was quite easy; a bit too easy to read. He could tell something was bothering Naruto. He was holding back, in some way. His smiles seemed almost fake. When he looked into Naruto's eyes, he could see that the Hokage had been right.

Naruto had changed in some way. Kakashi wasn't quite sure what that change was, but he was pretty sure it wasn't good, and he didn't like it.

"I'm good. Happy to be back in Konoha!" Naruto dangled his feet off the table, and kicked them back and forth.

"I'm glad to hear that. Unfortunately, you won't be here for long."

"He has another mission already?" Kiba shouted, which made Ino cover her ears and glare at him. Kiba ignored it though, and looked at Kakashi expectantly.

"I'm afraid so. Which means I need to speak to Naruto alone," Kakashi said with an apology in his voice. He really did hate to interrupt the little gathering; being around friends would certainly be good for Naruto right now. But he had a job to do, and this couldn't wait. They were due to leave tomorrow morning for a land that would take some time to get to.

"But he just got back! Isn't that a bit much?" Kiba frowned, and so did Shikamaru. He found it quite suspicious that Naruto would get another mission so soon. Something was definitely up. There should be no reason to have Naruto go on another one so quickly; it wasn't like the village was running short on ninja or receiving more mission requests than normal. The others nodded their heads and murmured yeahs.

"It's okay, Kiba. I can handle another mission. Probably better than you could." Naruto smirked.

"Yeah right! Say that again!" Kiba barked. He scowled for a second, but then surprised everyone by walking up to Naruto's spot on the table and _hugging _Naruto tightly. Naruto stiffened at first, but then he leaned into the hug. It shocked him, but it felt really nice too. But it was also embarrassing. Almost everyone in the room gasped at the action, and Ino even snickered. Sasuke's eye twitched.

"Kiba! What are you doing" Naruto blushed. He wiggled in Kiba's arms, but the brunette wouldn't let him go.

"I'm not letting you go on your mission until you say goodbye," Kiba said stubbornly. "It pisses me off when you leave without saying it."

"Jeez, is that all?" Kiba hugged Naruto even tighter, squeezing Naruto's ribs to an uncomfortable level. "Okay, okay! GOODBYE, KIBA! There, I said it! Will you let me go now?"

After a second Kiba finally let Naruto go, and slapped him hard on the back. "Don't stay away for too long this time, man. Ain't the same without ya. We'll have the party first thing when you get back, you hear? So be ready!" Kiba grinned and Naruto nodded his head a little sheepishly. Kiba took a step back to make more room for Ino, who was now walking towards Naruto.

"Kiba's right. Don't be a stranger. Especially when you've finally grown up," Ino smirked and hugged Naruto much like Kiba had. "You better say goodbye to me too, now!"

"Bye, Ino." Ino held on a little longer than necessary, which made Naruto's cheeks heat up. When she let go she made sure to leave room for Shikamaru, who just grasped Naruto's shoulder tightly.

"It's troublesome, but I do want to hear a goodbye from you." Naruto chuckled, grateful that the lazy ninja didn't glomp onto him like the rest.

"Bye, Shika. I'll see ya soon." Shikamaru nodded and let go, rolling his eyes at the too cute nickname Naruto had apparently just decided to call him.

That left Hinata, who realized she was the only one left and was expected to do the same. She blushed a bright red and stuttered out "I-I r-really would l-like to h-hear g-go-goodb-bye." Naruto laughed at Hinata's embarrassment and pulled her into a hug. "N-N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata's face grew redder, impossibly, and looked as if she would faint.

"Bye, Hinata-chan! It was good to see you!" Hinata stumbled back, her legs weak, and Ino caught her.

Naruto, who had been smiling with real happiness just a moment ago, suddenly brought his hands to his head, as if in pain. His face scrunched up, like he was trying not to scream. Sasuke heard a sharp intake of breath and immediately moved closer to Naruto, asking him what was wrong without using words. Naruto instantly understood, but just shook his head, telling Sasuke nothing was wrong. Sasuke frowned, not believing Naruto, but didn't say anything. When Naruto looked up at Sasuke his eyes weren't as bright as before; they seemed dull in comparison. It was just a slight change that no one else would notice, but it made a world of difference. Sasuke was reminded of the eyes he had seen right before Naruto had left to go see the Hokage. They weren't as dull and lifeless as before, but that seemed to be on purpose. Naruto was trying act normal, even if he felt like anything but. Sasuke noted this in about five seconds, of course, being able to analyze Naruto almost instantly now. The time they had spent apart didn't seem to matter.

Naruto noticed everyone staring at him, and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry guys, just a headache. Now go! Shoo! I have a mission to prepare for!" He grinned, but he smile didn't reach his eyes at all.

"Okay, if you say so… Well, see ya!" Kiba waved and walked out of the opening. One after another the other ninja left, shouting goodbyes and good lucks as they did so. Sakura left too, waving a heartfelt goodbye before turning around and hugging Naruto. Naruto was a little surprised that she would so openly show any affection for him, but went with it. Knowing what she wanted, he gave it to her.

"Goodbye, Sakura-chan. I'll miss you. I'll make sure to see you right when I get back." He patted her back when she hugged him tightly. When she let go after several moments, he thought her eyes seemed a little watery, but quickly dismissed it as his imagination. She walked out of the (doorless) opening slowly, as if she didn't want to leave.

When they were all finally gone Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. It had been tiring dealing with so many people at once. Especially when the voice had started speaking to him again in the middle of the visit. Naruto had let his guard down without realizing it; feeling so happy when all his friends had come to see him… Naruto felt the numbness come back. It spread through his body in a matter of seconds, taking away all thoughts of the happiness and warmth that he'd felt. All weariness. Everything.

"Well, that seemed like fun. Can we get to the matter at hand now?" Kakashi smiled sweetly beneath his mask. He thought he'd seen a change in Naruto's eyes just now, but couldn't be quite sure.

"You have a mission for us?" Sasuke asked. It was easy to keep the surprise out of his voice, as unlike Naruto, he'd been putting a mask on almost his whole life. He hadn't expected to get a mission so soon. It seemed to him that Naruto should get more time to rest… Especially when something just felt off about him, like right now.

"Yes. Tomorrow morning at 6 AM we leave for a neighboring country. We have to deliver a very special scroll to a very special person. We have Intel that other ninja will be after us. They _will _try to kill us, so be prepared. This is an Anbu-level mission, and it will be very different from those you have experienced thus far," Kakashi spoke seriously for once, his tone not light like usual.

"Our Cell?" Sasuke asked the important questions because he knew Naruto wouldn't. But at least the dobe was paying attention; his eyes were focused, even if they weren't shining brightly.

"We're all here! Meet your captain." Kakashi's one visible eye smiled now, glad that his students hadn't wavered even once in their decision to accept this mission. They didn't seem apprehensive about it at all.

"Hn." Sasuke had guessed as much. Why else would Kakashi have been sent to tell them about their mission? The Hokage must have told him, since Naruto said it was a secret that he and Sasuke had been promoted.

"Cool! Our first mission as equals! It'll be fun!" Naruto laughed and did his best to look excited, but by the way his new (at the same time old) teammates were staring at him, it must have rang false. _Am I a bad actor? Or can they just read my mind?_

"Yes. I'm sure we'll do just fine, and have a blast at the same time." Kakashi had no idea how wrong he was about that last part.

Naruto ran through the forest mechanically in his new Anbu uniform, between Kakashi and Sasuke in a line. Kakashi led, Naruto was in the middle, and Sasuke brought up the rear. They had been running for hours and were making good time. Despite their fast pace, Naruto felt himself wanting to go faster. He supposed it had to do with their destination. But he made sure not to want it _too _much. He made sure not to _really _feel.

When he was like this, numb, but still with wants and desires, it left a strange feeling. It was like being detached from everything—almost like having no control of your body. It was similar to being a puppet, Naruto mused. But there was no one tugging on his strings…

When Naruto was like that, he usually didn't think too much. He just reacted. It was nice, in a way, almost peaceful. But he knew that if he didn't have to keep that damn voice out of his head, he would gladly accept all feeling again. Even pain.

And so it was with pure reflex that Naruto halted when Kakashi gave the signal by putting his gloved hand up. The three nin came to a stop quickly, and kept their line.

"I sense two enemies approaching. Rapidly. We have about thirty seconds. I assume we'll have to engage in battle, so get ready. If possible, leave one of them alive so we can get some information out of them." Both boys tensed up at Kakashi's words. They were in battle mode now, fighting stances ready. It was three against two, so they hoped they'd have the advantage.

Quick as lightening, just as Kakashi predicted two men leapt from the trees. The headed straight for Kakashi with kunai aimed to strike. The kunai looked wet with a purple sheen to them, so they must be poisoned. Kakashi dodged with ease, his sharingan activated. Naruto was sure Sasuke did as well.

One of the men, clothed in typical black ninja clothes and masks that covered everything but their eyes, leaped back and pulled out a scroll. He was just about to open it when Naruto shouted "Oh no you don't!" and ran at him. The man jumped into a tree, laughing.

"Oh, you're that one, eh? The Kyuubi container?" Naruto glared, his eyes narrowing. _How does he know who I am? I have my mask on… Okay, it is a fox mask though… Was it too obvious? Does he have something to do with the Akatsuki? _"Now will you be a good little foxy and tell me where that scroll is?" The man sneered.

Naruto's eyes narrowed further. He _hated _being called a fox. "As if, asshole." Naruto ran after him up the tree the enemy was crouching in. He took his fox mask, since it was obstructing his vision a little and the enemy apparently knew who he was anyway.

"That's no good. I guess you're a wild little fox after all." The man leapt to another tree. "Whoa, you're pretty fast. I guess you are a little monster after all." He laughed.

**That word.**

It echoed through Naruto's head, consuming all other thoughts. He froze, not hearing anything else. He couldn't think to remember what he should be doing right now. He couldn't think to wonder how his teammates were doing. He could only hear that word. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster.

"Aww, is the little monster scared?" The man said mockingly. "Or does he just not like being called a monster?" Naruto twitched. "Oh, that's it, eh? Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster." The man laughed, thrilled with his game. It was working perfectly to distract Naruto from helping his teammates. "Monster. Monster. Monster! Monster! Monster! Monster!" He shouted now. He didn't notice Naruto's eyes bleeding red.

"Monster! Monster! Monster! MONSTER! MONSTER! MONSTER! MONSTER! MONSTER! MONSTER!" He laughed even harder, a loud cackling. "Mon-" The cackling was cut off when Naruto's hand as around his throat, squeezing it painfully.

"Shut up." Naruto hissed. "Shut up. Shut up. SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

The man's eyes grew wide with fright at seeing the blood-red irises and slitted pupils, but he still continued. "Monster. Monster." He choked out. "Monster. Mo-"

He certainly wasn't laughing when Naruto's hand ran through his chest.

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><p><strong>Please review! I would love you ! Lemme know what you think! Who knows, it might make Sasuke and Naru get together faster... *smirks* OH, and don't forget, the person who gives the fic Review #50 gets a prize of their choosing! SO who wants to be my fiftieth? REVIEW, POR FAVOR! XD<strong>


	13. A bit of green in the desert

**Okay, so here ya go. This chapter was supposed to be longer, but in the end I just couldn't do it. So, it's about the usual length. Maybe next time… yeah, maybe… maybe…**

**Thanks, ****narutoluvr4evr, for being my beta! I really appreciate it!**

**Announcement at the bottom, please read**

**Disclaimer: Raise your hand if you wish I owned Naruto… no one? no?.. okay…**

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><p><strong>A bit of green in the desert<strong>

Sasuke watched with mild disinterest as his sensei leapt away from the poison-dipped kunai. Their opponent was _fast; _it was obvious why the enemy had sent him. He dashed forward, aiming kick after kick and strike after strike with his kunai, all the while trying to reach Kakashi's vest. It was the most obvious place the scroll would be held.

To most ordinary ninja, the man would be a blur; however, to Kakashi and Sasuke with their Sharingan activated, it appeared the man was moving in slow motion. He was fast, but Kakashi proved faster. The silver-haired jounin dodged the kicks with a smirk behind the mask.

His sensei was just toying with their enemy, much like a cat does with a mouse right before it kills it.

Sasuke looked away, bored, already knowing the outcome and that it'd be pointless for him to interfere. He took of his weasel mask because it was getting really annoying trying to see through the tiny slits. It almost made him wish there was another nin for him to deal with, since Naruto was dealing with the other one. _Where is he, anyway? _Sasuke searched the forest with his Sharingan, until a voice from his far left, almost behind him, made him turn. It was gruff and taunting, and grated on his nerves.

"Aww, is the little monster scared?" The man said mockingly. "Or does he just not like being called a monster?" The enemy nin smirked as he watched Naruto's reaction. The blonde was halfway up a tree trunk, defying gravity. He was stiff, rigid, like a statue.

Sasuke furrowed his brows, not liking the look of things.

"Oh, that's it, eh? Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster." The man laughed, his voice increasingly mocking and rising in volume.

_Do they know who Naruto is? That idiot should have kept his mask on. But if he keeps saying that, I'm going to kill him myself. _

Suddenly, Sasuke felt the emergence of dark power, before realizing that it could only belong to Kyuubi. Glancing over at Naruto, he could see red chakra bubbling has it surrounded the blond. It reminded him of when they had fought at the Final Valley, and just like then, he could feel the air grow heavy and hot.

"Monster. Monster. Monster! Monster! Monster! Monster!" The enemy nin shouted now, and Sasuke gritted his teeth. He was starting to see red, and he didn't think it was completely due to the Sharingan. _Who the fuck does the think he is to call the dobe a monster? That baka couldn't be scary if he tried. He's not a killer._

"Naruto," Sasuke said just loud enough for the jinchuriki to hear him. "Naruto!" Sasuke tried again, but the blonde didn't seem to hear him.

"Monster! Monster! Monster! MONSTER! MONSTER! MONSTER! MONSTER! MONSTER! MONSTER!" The man's shouts grew louder and shriller. Sasuke wanted to throw a kunai at him to shut him up, but he was more concerned about Naruto than some third rate goon. As the shouts grew louder and more frequent, Naruto's chakra grew with each word.

"Mon-" So fast, almost enough that Sasuke had trouble seeing it, Naruto's hand was around the enemy's throat, silencing just as he has wished. The man thrashed, trying to shake off Naruto's hold around his airway, but Naruto only squeezed tighter. The red aura around Naruto grew until a single tail was clearly visible. The man only tried harder to get away.

Sasuke was grateful for the Sharingan's ability to read lips, as when Naruto spoke he did so quiet enough that Sasuke couldn't quite hear it. "Shut up." Naruto hissed.

_What's going on? I thought it was supposed to take a lot more for the fox's chakra to come seeping through. Is he relying on it or is the demon doing it on its own? _"Oi! Dobe!" Sasuke shouted now, not caring if the enemy heard him; it's not like he could do anything anyway.

Naruto didn't respond. It was almost like the blonde was in a trance, focusing solely on the enemy whose throat his hands were wrapped around. The red eyes that were so much like Sasuke's own seemed somehow menacing, and it confused him.

"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Naruto shouted. Sasuke could see the fangs in the jinchuriki's mouth lengthen slightly.

"Monster…" The man barely managed to choke out in a garble. "Mo-" Sasuke nearly missed Naruto shoving his arm straight through the man's chest; the blood running all the way up to his elbow. Sasuke couldn't believe what he was seeing. Uzumaki Naruto had just killed someone in cold blood. Granted, he was an enemy ninja that had insulted him, but… He'd honestly never thought he'd see the day when _Naruto _would kill someone. It was a foolish way of thinking, as Naruto was a ninja, and a high-ranking one at that, and ninja's were tools for killing. But… if he hadn't seen it with his own Sharingan he wouldn't have believed it.

Sasuke stood there, half frozen in shock, and half frozen in confusion. Naruto was frozen as well; the jinchuriki still had his arm stuck in the newly made corpse.

Slowly, Sasuke overcame his shock and hesitantly closer to get a better look at Naruto. What he saw stunned him once again. Truly, Naruto was the master at surprising people.

Naruto's new Anbu uniform was covered in blood. His face was speckled with the red stuff as well. And he had the strangest expression… The way he was staring at the puddle of blood… It was like he was transfixed by it… Like it was the only thing he could see… The red eyes with cat-like pupils… they were looking at the blood like…. They _wanted _it…

"Dobe! Oi, dobe! Answer me!" Sasuke moved towards Naruto faster than before. Naruto's eyes and the red aura surrounding him alerted him that it might be dangerous, but he didn't care. He just had to do something, anything.

Naruto abruptly pulled his hand out of the body, letting the corpse fall into the puddle of blood beneath it. He brought his red hand up to his face and just stared at it, the same way he had stared at the blood on the ground. The blonde's intense gaze was cold and curious and… hungry at the same time. Naruto licked his lips. When he did so, Sasuke saw the sharp points of fangs.

_What… what the hell? Is this that demon's doing? Is it making Naruto act like this? _"You baka, what the hell are you doing? Answer me!" Sasuke hoped he didn't sound as confused as he felt.

Naruto brought his hand even closer to his face, close enough to… lick it. His tongue darted out and gave a quick stroke of his palm. Then, it started greedily lapping up all the blood, until his palm was clean of the fresh red liquid and streaked with pink. Red lips twisted into a cold smile, like they were pleased with that they had just done. Naruto bent down to-

"Usuratonkachi!" Sasuke yelled as he grabbed Naruto's wrist to stop him. From what, he didn't know, and he had feeling he didn't want to know.

Naruto snapped his head up in Sasuke's direction. The red slowly faded to blue, the claws and sharp teeth disappeared. He seemed shocked, to the point of being confused; just like Sasuke had been. His eyes were as wide as could be, and for a moment, seemed dull and dazed. But with a blink, that look was gone.

"S-Sasuke?" Naruto's voice was shaky, unsure of what was going on.

"What was that? Sasuke said in a low tone, moving even closer.

Acting as if a switch had been flipped somewhere, Naruto gave a (fake) grin. "It was nothing. Really!"

"You killing someone is nothing?" Sasuke nodded his head down at the corpse on the ground. Naruto followed his gaze, but didn't react at all. _How can he act like nothing's wrong? Here he always used to go on and on about saving people, and not killing unless 100 percent necessary and if there's no other way, and now he's ignoring the fact that he just stuck his arm through a man's chest. It's really pissing me off. _He was just about to demand an answer when the captain of their team popped up.

"Hello, guys! I'm still here!" Kakashi waved. "What's going on?" He asked, as if he didn't already know and stepped to get a closer look at the enemy nin's body in front of Naruto.

"Nothing!" Naruto said quickly. "I just… did what I was told and stopped the enemy from getting the scroll."

If the corpse surprised the jounin at all, he didn't show it. "Well, that's a bit unexpected. I didn't think you'd kill your opponent. I killed mine too… now how are we going to get information?"

"Sorry, Kakashi-sensei, I didn't think I'd…"

"It's alright. I doubt they'd have told us anything anyway. Now what do you say we get going and get that scroll delivered on time?"

Sasuke and Naruto nodded and they were off. They kept to the trees at much as possible. Sasuke brushed up against Naruto in a gesture that was meant to be comforting, and shot him a look that clearly said 'We are SO talking about this later, whether you like it or not.' Naruto scowled, but appreciated the sentiment. Not that he planned on telling Sasuke anything over his dead body.

They ran a couple more hours, and the entire time Sasuke stayed by Naruto's side, almost touching; proper formation be damned.

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><p>"Gaara!" Naruto shouted and ran to the redhead. Gaara seemed a little surprised at the sudden display of affection, but let Naruto hug him none the less. He pulled away quickly to get a good look at his fellow jinchuriki.<p>

"Naruto. How have you been? I see you have been promoted to Anbu." The last time the two jinchuriki had seen each other had been a few months before Naruto had left to go try and capture Sasuke.

"Good, good! Man, it's been too long!" Naruto laughed cheerily and grinned from ear to ear. And it was a real smile for once. He would let nothing get in his way of enjoying his precious time with Gaara. He hadn't seen his friend in forever.

"Yes, far too long. I hear you brought the Uchiha home with his tail between his legs? And that he's here with you." Gaara's eyes looked past Naruto to the door where Kakashi and Sasuke were standing. Kakashi, at ease, smiled behind his mask. Sasuke , with his mask off now and a scowl in place, clenched his fists.

"Yup! I dragged that bastard home! He's here on a mission with me and Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, finally glancing back and noticing his teammates. He'd kind of left them behind in his excitement to get here, as they'd neared the gates of Suna. He looked at them sheepishly. "Sorry guys, I was just really excited to see Gaara…"

"It's quite alright, we were really close anyhow; the enemy had already attacked once, so a repeat attack so soon was unlikely." Kakashi smiled, but Sasuke's glare clearly said it NOT alright with him.

"Thanks!" Naruto turned back to Gaara, choosing to ignore Sasuke. "So how have you been? Pretty busy I bet, eh, Kazekage?"

Gaara shrugged. "It's my duty as Kazekage, nothing more." Taking in their disheveled and dirty forms, not to mention Naruto's bloody uniform, Gaara continued. "Now, how about we wait to get the formalities over with tomorrow. It is late, and you are all tired. You must eat and sleep."

Naruto looked like he was going to protest, but a glare from Gaara…

Kakashi nodded. "Thank you, Kazekage-sama, that sounds very nice. But first, I believe I must hand this over to you." He pulled out the scroll from another sealing that was protecting it, and handed it got Gaara.

"Thank you." Said Gaara, and put it away in a pouch on his hip for safe keeping. "I will show you to the dining room."

They were in Kazekage's mansion, where Gaara had greeted them at the front door. It was spacious and pristine. There was not a single speck of dust anywhere—a rare oddity considering that the mansion resided in the Suna desert. Gaara made sure that not a single grain of sand got into the compound. It was styled similar to the rest of the buildings in Suna, but on a much grander scale. The inside was mainly a crisp white, with colorful Suna decorations here and there. It was very simplistic, even with the weapons displayed on the walls in most hallways. It was odd to think, but it completely suited Gaara.

"Wow, this place hasn't changed at all since I last stayed here," Naruto said as he walked through the halls.

Kakashi noticed Sasuke narrowing his eyes when Naruto said that, and said quietly "Naruto was allowed to stay here instead of at the inn where all the others did whenever he came to Suna. He's been here a few times already. Since we are such great friends with Naruto, the Kazekage has allowed us to stay here as well as a rare exception." Kakashi's words were meant to be reassuring, but they only made Sasuke glare harder.

When they were done with dinner in the incredibly large dining room (in which Naruto sat next to Gaara and talked to him the entire time, much to Sasuke's annoyance), Gaara cleared his throat.

"As I'm sure some of you may have noticed, this mansion has been placed under a genjutsu." He glanced at Sasuke and Kakashi. Naruto looked embarrassed. "Just two days ago the mansion began going under construction. As the mansion of the Kazekage being exposed is dangerous, we put it under a genjutsu to appear normal. In reality, only about 20% of it is usable. The dining room, living room, kitchen, and two guest bedrooms are usable."

Sasuke nodded, he had guess as much. He had seen through the genjutsu instantly, but hadn't said anything in case it was to be a secret.

"Since there are only two bedrooms, I regret to inform you that we will have to share. Two to a room; there is a couch in each room as well". Gaara paused, allowing everyone a moment to take that in. "Kakashi and Sasuke get the room to the left, me and Naruto get the larger room to the right."

"Naruto and I share." The words passed through Sasuke's lips before he even realized he'd thought them.

"Naruto and I must discuss some things in private. I shall share with him." Gaara glowered at Sasuke, who glared right back. You could practically see the electricity between them, crackling as they tried to stare each other down.

Sensing the tension in the room, Naruto quickly worked to dissipate it, though he didn't understand what the two stoic ninja were acting like enemies. "Sasuke, it's fine, really. You don't need to be with me all the time. Plus, me and Gaara really do need to talk."

Sasuke turned his glare to Naruto. "Like what?"

"Like none of your business! I _want _to room with Gaara." Naruto shot Sasuke a glare right back. Sasuke's stupid attitude was really pissing him off right now, and he wasn't in a good mood to begin with. All throughout dinner, he'd had a massive headache from trying to keep the voice at bay. _How DARE he pity me. That's all it is, isn't it? He's just feeling sorry for me, isn't he? He thinks I'm so pathetic I NEED to him to be by my side at all times. It's just pity. I can share a room with whoever the fuck I want to! _

_You don't need him… _The voice whispered.

"Fine," Sasuke practically hissed. "Show me to my room." He stood up from his chair as if it was on fire, the chair's legs screeching loudly as it scraped across the floor.

"Sasuke! Show some respect!" Kakashi scolded.

"With pleasure," said Gaara, scowling heavily.

_This is going to be a long night, _thought Kakashi and Naruto simultaneously.

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><p>The silence hung heavy in the air as Naruto laid on the bed. He and Gaara had retired to their room, intending to talk, but an awkward silence had taken over the room as soon as they'd walked in. finally, Naruto couldn't take it anymore.<p>

"Your mansion isn't undergoing reconstruction, isn't it?"

Gaara looked up from his spot on the couch in the large room. It was done in the exact same style as the rest of the house, with white walls and ceilings in addition to the occasional traditional Suna decoration hung up on the walls. The bed was in the furthest right of the room, with a small bedside table next to it. A white couch was in the middle of the room, and a coffee table was in front of it. A door that led to an on-suite bathroom was near the bed as well. A small kitchen area, with a larger table and cupboards and fridge, was behind that.

"No. It was an Akatsuki attack. I would appreciate it if you kept that information to yourself, and from the rest of Konoha."

"What did they want? You're not a jinchuriki anymore; they already have your biju."

"The scroll we are exchanging for the one Kakashi handed me. Apparently the Akatsuki doesn't want Konoha to have that scroll."

"What happened? Are you okay? Is everyone else okay?" Naruto shot up from the bed and practically ran to Gaara.

"The Akatsuki dropped a bomb, perhaps one made from that blonde man long ago. They did not stay not stay to see if we were dead, or if the scroll was destroyed, so I wonder if that was really a priority, or it they were distracted by something else… Either way, everyone's fine. Temari and Kankuro are on a mission. A lot of the Suna ninja are on missions right now to try and track the Akatsuki that dropped the bomb. But no ninja or citizens were harmed."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. The attack was strange, but as long as his friends were okay, he really didn't care to think too much about the Akatsuki's motives right now.

"And what about you? Are you alright? Judging by your uniform, I take it you had a rough time getting here." It was rare for Gaara to actually start a conversation, so it startled Naruto a little.

"Huh? What are you talking about? I wasn't the one who got attacked by the Akatsuki! It was just some enemy ninja; we couldn't get any information out of them. "

"You've been distracted all night, fidgeting, and you haven't been babbling like crazy as you normally do. You've clutched your head a few times, as if it hurt. You didn't each much. And I can see that something's wrong by looking in your eyes," Gaara replied with ease.

Naruto sighed with a slight sheepish smile on his face. "I guess I can't keep anything from the Kazekage, eh?"

"No, you cannot. Now tell me what it is that is bothering you." Gaara stared at Naruto intently, his eyes appeared to be lined with a heavy ring of black coal (but was actually entirely natural). Naruto couldn't say anything, couldn't come up with a good enough lie that Gaara wouldn't be able to figure out. And he found that he didn't really want to lie; he trusted Gaara completely.

"You killed the ninja that came after the scroll, didn't you?" Gaara stated, and it wasn't a question. The redhead could simply tell.

Naruto's eyes widened considerably. "How… how did you know?" He thought he'd been so careful to hide everything, the pain…

"I can see it in your eyes. It was your first time killing a man, yes?" Naruto nodded. "When a person ends another's life, their eyes change. They become colder. Darker. They lose their softness. The first time is always the worst. And each time, your soul becomes more tainted."

_I don't want to hear this. I don't want to hear this. _Hearing Gaara's words made it all the more real. He felt the voice pounding in his head, trying to get him to listen, and clutched his temples.

"I see you are suffering from remorse. If you did not want to kill him, then why did you?" Gaara questioned.

"He called me a monster," Naruto whispered.

Gaara immediately understood, knowing exactly what it was Naruto meant. They were both Jinchuriki, after all. Gaara must have experienced the same thing. At least, Naruto thought so when Gaara suddenly closed the distance between them. He grabbed Naruto's hand gently, and urged the blonde onto the couch beside him.

"Come, my friend, tell me all about it. As I have killed many, many times before, although I am not exactly proud of it, I consider myself an expert of sorts in that field." He squeezed Naruto's hand, telling him to let it all out with that one gesture.

So Naruto did just that.

"We were on the way here to deliver the scroll, and when were about three or so hours away from arriving, two enemy ninja showed up. They knew who I was. The one I was facing called me that, and I just… snapped. I shot my hand straight through his chest. I can still feel it… the way it felt. I can still feel those tissues, still feel the way his heart stopped beating as I punches through it. I can still feel my hand running through his back and breaking the bones, the blood going all the way up to my elbow. It made this horrible crunching noise first, then it was a squishing… I can still hear it… Every time I close my eyes I can see his corpse hitting the ground… I can see the blood pooling all over… I can see the life leaving his eyes…"

Naruto blinked, his vision suddenly becoming blurry. When he felt a single wetness on one his cheeks, he realized he was crying. "Oh god… I'm sorry Gaara. I didn't mean to… You're the Kazekage and all… Yu probably have more important things to do than listen to me sob and whine… I sound so pathetic…"Naruto trailed off, his words becoming more choked as he went on.

"I was your friend before I was Kazekage, and it will stay that way long after I am done with my term. You are a very compassionate person, Naruto, and that's what… changed me. You would listen to any of my problems, so I will listen to yours. We both have demons inside us, and we share a bond that's unbreakable. I will always be here for you, as you have always been there for me."

Naruto stared, wide-eyed, at Gaara. Never before had Gaara talked to him like this, with so much emotion. It made Naruto's tears fall harder, and before he knew it, his arms were around Gaara's neck and he was sobbing into his shoulder.

"And I liked it! I tasted his blood and I liked it! It was like I couldn't control myself! If Sasuke hadn't stopped me… I don't know what I would have… I feel like I'm slipping, and I… I hate it! I hate it so much! I act like I'm fine, but I'm not! I'm not! I'm not…" It came flooding out of him, like a damn had been broken. Once he'd started, he couldn't stop confessing. His tears came faster, flowing down his cheeks with no end in sight. He clung to Gaara tightly, unable to stop his violent sobbing.

It was almost like Gaara had been expecting this; the redhead was so calm. He just let Naruto free himself of the burdens he was shouldering. For someone like Naruto, who was a contradiction, so naively innocent but hardened at the same time, he knew this needed to happen. Naruto needed to have a good little nervous breakdown with someone who wouldn't judge him, and then he might be able to move on. He could work on being whole again.

So Gaara held Naruto until the blonde's tears ran dry and the shaking stopped. It didn't take long. Gaara could tell by how Naruto's grip had loosened and his rhythmic breathing that he was asleep. He moved Naruto into his arms and carried him to the bed, where he lay the sleeping jinchuriki down under the covers. He was just about to leave to do some paperwork when a hand grasped his wrist tightly. Gaara sighed, but complied. He climbed into the bed next to Naruto.

"I guess it won't hurt to have the Hokage owe me one."

* * *

><p>Sasuke walked down the hallway towards the room Gaara has said he'd be in with Naruto. He was fairly sure that Gaara would be somewhere doing Kazekage business, so he hoped to talk to Naruto alone. He wanted to find out what was wrong with the blonde. HIS blonde. Sasuke had the strange desire to stake a claim on the loudmouth.<p>

Maybe if Gaara and Naruto had already talked, he could convince Naruto to share a room with him instead. He didn't like the idea of spending the night away from the one he was so used to. _It's just a habit, _he told himself, _that's all. Nothing more, nothing less… Yeah, and I'm a warm and caring person. _Sasuke snorted to himself.

He reached the door the end of the hall. He was surprised to see the door was open a crack. Sasuke's lips turned downwards slightly, but otherwise he gave no indication of confusion. He decided to take it as a good sign Naruto and Gaara were done talking. He slowly opened the door, careful not to make any noise. He could hear a light snoring that he recognized as Naruto's and he didn't want to wake him up too suddenly. It was a little early for Naruto to go to sleep, but he figured the dobe must be tired. If he had to he'd just pick Naruto off the bed and carry him to the room he was staying in. He could force Kakashi to switch rooms.

He opened the door to see Gaara still in the room. With Naruto. In the same bed. With Naruto. Sleeping. With Naruto. HIS Naruto.

Sasuke had to force himself, with sheer willpower, to NOT go over there and throw Gaara across the room and perhaps accidentally decapitating him in the process. _Why are they sharing a bed? Don't they have any more futons? Why isn't one of them using the couch? _Watching Naruto's sleeping form, all peaceful and completely relaxed, Sasuke felt and anger rise up inside him. _Why does Naruto look so content? Will anyone do, is that it?_

Suddenly, as if he had somehow sensed Sasuke staring at him, Naruto twitched and slowly peeked an eye open. He opened the other quickly, shocked. "Sasuke?" Naruto mouthed, not wanting to wake up Gaara.

Sasuke simply glared, picked up the blue-eyed ninja and threw him over his shoulder, ignoring Naruto's silent protests. He was about to stalk off with his kicking (but fortunately not screaming, thought he knew in any other situation he would be) cargo, when he met resistance.

Gaara's hand was tugging on Naruto's leg; the redhead glaring right back at Sasuke.

Feeling the same anger as before rise up again, Sasuke slapped the Kazekage's hand away without a word. He shot Gaara an icy glare that would reduce most men to tears before stomping off. He didn't see the tiny smirk on Gaara's face.

Sasuke threw Naruto down on the bed roughly, eliciting an "oomf!" from the still slightly sleepy teen. He had taken Naruto back to the other guest room for Konoha nin.

"Sasuke! What the fuck was that? Why did you take me away from Gaara? Why did you slap his hand away like that? Why are you so pissed?" Naruto had been oddly silent during the confrontation, but he was making up for it now.

At 'take me away from Gaara' Sasuke grit his teeth and his anger exploded.

"I will NOT allow it! You are NOT allowed to get close to anyone but me! NEVER go to anyone else for your nightmares! Don't let anyone else see you like that! I will NOT allow it! Not even the kazekage can have you!"

Naruto seemed taken aback at first, from Sasuke's volume and words he spoke, but quickly grew red faced with anger and embarrassment. "Shut up! That's not for you to decide. You don't give me orders, you bastard! None of this is any of your business!"

"Yes, it IS. I'm here because YOU wanted me here. That makes it MY business. And I don't go running off to anyone else when my nightmares bother me, you're the only one I-" Sasuke clamped his hand over his mouth, realizing he'd said too much. _Wait, too much? What am I saying? What the fucking hell?_

Naruto stared, wide-eyed, and red faced, this time purely from embarrassment, at Sasuke. Had he just been about to say what he thought he was? Judging by Sasuke's reaction to his own words, even Sasuke seemed surprised he'd said that. But if what Sasuke had said was true, then… maybe Naruto would cut him a break. He wouldn't let it slide in the future, but just this once he'd let Sasuke have his way.

"Just shut up and go to sleep. I'm tired. And if you ever try and give me orders again I will your fucking ass." Said Naruto curtly, but the small smirk what wormed its way onto his lips betrayed his true feelings. He climbed into bed with a huff and covered up quickly. Sasuke immediately followed suit, with his own smirk in place, curling up next to Naruto even though the bed was much bigger than the one they were used to. Neither minded.

* * *

><p>Sasuke had made sure to lock the door, as Kakashi later found out. He sensed Sasuke's chakra behind the door, along with Naruto's. <em>Well, that's a bit unexpected. I thought it would take them a little longer. <em>He went off to search for his new room.

The next morning was a bright one, and the sun's rays filtered through the window, instantly waking up the two ninja in bed. Naruto groaned, while Sasuke buried his head under a pillow.

"C'mon teme, we got to leave early this morning. We weren't even supposed to stay this long…" Naruto sighed and sat up. Sasuke mumbled something unintelligible from under his pillow.

"Get your ass up. We need to go." Following his own advice, Naruto climbed out of bed and searched for his Anbu uniform. He went into the bathroom to do his morning routine, and when he came back out a few minutes later Sasuke was _still in bed._

"DAMMIT TEME, WAKE THE HELL UP!" The bastard in question muttered something that sounded like "five more minutes."

"Five minutes my ass! You're getting up NOW!" Naruto grabbed Sasuke's feet, which were exposed from when Naruto had thrown the covers off to get out of bed, and pulled. Sasuke must have grabbed onto the sheets, because for as much as Naruto was pulling he wasn't getting anywhere. "SASUKE! HURRY THE FUCK UP!" Naruto pulled some more, but then decided to try a new tactic… He let go of Sasuke's legs, but then slowly started scraping his nail across the bottom of Sasuke's foot. The appendage twitched, but otherwise Sasuke didn't move. Naruto kept it up, moving faster, until Sasuke started kicking his feet. He thought he heard a muffled "Stop", but couldn't be sure.

"You wish, teme." Naruto moved his hands upwards, slowly, until he reached his destination: Sasuke's hips. He started slowly, moving his nails up and down, and then increased the speed, wiggling his fingers in a full on tickle. Sasuke kicked more, but he wasn't about to let him go. After a few seconds, Naruto thought he heard what must be muffled gasps… or laughter; someone trying to hold back laughter, at least.

"Is the Great Uchiha Sasuke ticklish? Oh my." Naruto teased as he continued his tickle attack. Oh yeah, Sasuke was definitely trying to hold back laughter. This was SO worth any punishment the bastard would try to inflict on him. Sasuke mumbled something, and then finally took the pillow off his head. His breathing was heavier than normal, his face slightly flushed.

"I'm awake. STOP." Sasuke glared, but the way his jaw kept twitching, his breathing, and the look in his eyes all told Naruto he was doing his best not to laugh. Smirking, Naruto pinched Sasuke's side in just the right way that made Sasuke gasp, which sounded suspiciously like a laugh. He backed away quickly, expecting Sasuke to lunge at him or something. But to his surprise, Sasuke only sat there with a slightly glazed expression on his face, he looked half asleep still.

"You still have trouble getting up in the morning, eh Sasuke?" Naruto snickered.

"… Shut up." Sasuke said, his voice thick with leftover sleepiness.

Deciding to push his luck, Naruto poked Sasuke in the ribs, eliciting the same reaction as before, making him smirk. That seemed to wake the raven up, because he did as Naruto had predicted and lunged at him. There was a flurry of flying kicks, punches, and tackles as they rolled on the ground, some landing, some not. They were both too tired to do anything more complicated, so they were at about equal strength, as usual. Neither seemed to be hit more than the other. However, their rolling around and shouting at each other ("Damn teme, I'm going to kick your ass!" "As if you could land a punch, baka!") woke everyone up pretty quickly. It wasn't long before Kakashi opened their door to be greeted with the sight of Sasuke dodging a punch from Naruto and then straddling him to get a better angle to throw one himself.

Kakashi sighed, knowing he'd have to be the mediator between the two hotheads, like usual. They hadn't changed that much form genin, it seemed. "Sasuke! Naruto! Stop this now! I know we have to leave early this morning, but that doesn't mean we need to wake EVERYONE up."Neither of Kakashi's former students had noticed their superior come in, and looked surprised upon hearing his voice.

"Yeah, yeah. It's all this bastard's fault," Naruto grumbled and pointed a finger at Sasuke. Sasuke scowled, but didn't say anything; he figured they shared the blame, but if he refuted the statement then it would surely end in a pointless argument, of which he wasn't in the mood for, he was too tired.

"Of course it is," Kakashi said sweetly, humoring Naruto. "Now Sasuke, get dressed and be down for breakfast in five minutes. And please, no more lovers spats, okay you two?" He dodged about ten kunai thrown at him.

* * *

><p><em>Where the hell did he go? I take my eyes off him for two seconds and he disappears. Doesn't he know we have to leave in a few minutes? <em>Sasuke walked down one of the many hallways of the Kazekage's mansion, searching for Naruto. After breakfast the blue-eyed ninja had disappeared suddenly, while Kakashi and Gaara had left to talk business. Kakashi had reappeared about fifteen minutes later, telling Sasuke to round up Naruto so they could leave within the hour. Gaara hadn't been with him.

_How the hell can it be so hard to find him if most of the mansion isn't being used? And why the fuck is he suppressing his chakra? When I find him I am kicking his fucking ass. _Sasuke continued his mental rant. He was still grumpy from not getting much sleep last night. But it was nowhere near as bad as when Naruto had been gone. The nightmares had plagued him relentlessly.

Turning a corner, Sasuke saw a glass door that led to a courtyard outside. _Hn. The Kazekage didn't mention a courtyard still being usable. And the dobe does like being outside… _Sasuke thought as he slid the door open and stepped through.

It was surprisingly beautiful. An overhang protected the courtyard from the beating sun, with plants and vines hanging down from it. Dozens of potted plants were everywhere, ranging from leafy ferns to bright red flowers he had no idea the name of. There were many different types and colors, and you'd think it'd look like overkill or that they'd clash, but they didn't. The bright colors seemed to work in harmony, adding some much needed life to the desert scenery. Vines ran along the wall of the mansion, like leafy green spider webs. A lattice, grey metal table and two matching chairs stood in the middle of the courtyard. The stone beneath Sasuke's sandals was smooth and almost the same color.

_Hn. So the Kazekage likes plants. _For some reason, that REALLY irked Sasuke. Then he remembered that Naruto liked plants too, and had a couple small ones at home. Looking around, he saw the same ones in the courtyard. He sent a glare at them cold enough to make the plants wilt, as if they had personally offended him.

Suddenly, the courtyard wasn't as beautiful anymore. He really wanted to get out of there, so he went to the edge of the courtyard and turned a corner to see if Naruto was around there so they could hurry up and leave so they could get home. When Sasuke saw what was behind the corner, he froze.

Oh, Naruto was behind the corner.

With Gaara.

Well, at least he'd found Naruto.

With Gaara.

On a bench. With Gaara. Sitting very, very close. To Gaara. He was talking. To Gaara.

Gaara whispered in Naruto's ear. Naruto blushed.

Sasuke was in front of the two, putting a stop to it, in less time than it took to blink. He grabbed a (shocked) Naruto and pulled him away from Gaara. Gaara glared at Sasuke, but let him take Naruto.

"We," Sasuke hissed, "Are leaving. NOW." He grabbed Naruto's wrist and pulled on it, tugging it along with him as he stalked off.

"Sasuke! What the hell are you doing? At least let me say bye to Gaara! We were talking," Naruto dragged his feet, trying to get Sasuke to let go, but the raven's grip was too tight. "Sasuke! Let me go! I want to say goodbye to Gaara!"

"No," Sasuke said coldly and continued to drag Naruto along.

"Let. Me. GO!" Naruto shouted.

"NO," Sasuke repeated with such finality Naruto knew it was no use. Sasuke wasn't going to give him his wrist back anytime soon.

With a sigh, Naruto turned around (while still being pulled along by Sasuke) and yelled so Gaara could hear him from his seat on the bench. "Sorry Gaara, look like I gotta go now. I'll see ya soon! Send me letters if you get the chance!" Gaara nodded and waved back when Naruto waved at him with a big grin.

The blonde turned around and Gaara heard him say "Goddammit, you bastard, let me go! I'm coming with you, so give me my wrist back! And I can walk, so you DON'T have to drag me!" Naruto dug his heels into the ground, but Sasuke didn't let go. He gripped Naruto's wrist tighter, painfully, and literally dragged the blonde across the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>How was it? Looks like Sasuke's getting a little closer! It won't be much longer now! :squeals: XD<strong>

**Announcement:since the fiftieth reviewer didn't want the prize, the _first person who reviews saying they want the prize gets it_! So, if you want the prize or if you just want me to love you more, please review! I'd really appreciate it! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!**


	14. Otokonoko Tachi

**Phew! Finally, a new chapter. Yes, that means the hiatus is officially over. I know it's kinda short, but this is my first time writing anything in over two months, so… it was tough. I had wanted to finish this fic before I graduated, but I quickly realized that was going to be impossible. Now my goal is to finish it before I start college. Not a lot happens in this chapter, but I kinda meant it to be another look into Sasuke's head, as of now. :sighs: I know they're OOC, and it's only gonna get worse from now. I will apologize for that. Plus, there's a bit of Sakura-bashing. Well, I guess you should see for yourself…**

**Disclaimer: :sighs: Even after a hiatus I don't own Naruto. Damn. I'll have to try and change that…**

* * *

><p>A few days after Naruto and Sasuke had returned from Suna, they were waiting around in the training grounds, for whom else but Kakashi-sensei. Neither of them felt the need to spar, as they had barely talked since their return. A kind of tension had risen between them even before either had realized it.<p>

Sasuke had never been one to pry, but even he had decided it was time to question Naruto about what had happened on his mission. The difference between the Naruto before the mission and the one after was just too great. He could see Naruto trying to hide it—trying to act as normal as possible to cover up what he was really feeling inside. But Naruto could not lie to Sasuke. He never had been able to, and never would. The dobe was just too easy to read. Even if no one else could see it, Sasuke could. There was something behind Naruto's eyes that so desperately wanted to be seen, but it was blocked off. Whether Naruto was doing is subconsciously or actively trying to keep it buried, Sasuke didn't know.

But he would find out.

Sasuke's first attempts at trying to figure out what was bothering Naruto didn't go so well. The first time, on their way back from Suna, he had pulled Naruto to the side, away from Kakashi as they were running, and slowed down so their sensei wouldn't hear them. Kakashi had only glanced at them before shrugging it off. Sasuke had expected more questioning than that, but God knows what goes through that man's head. Sasuke, not being the most sensitive guy around, had decided to go with the most direct method of inquiring what had changed Naruto so drastically: bluntly asking.

After saying "What the hell's wrong with you, you idiot? Why are you acting different? You're even stupider than before," Sasuke was acknowledged with a swift punch to the cheek. The SAME cheek that had only just a couple days before finished healing completely from Sakura's devastating right hook that had left Sasuke's cheek a beautiful shade of purpley blue. He'd used a henge to hide it until it healed. Looked like he'd have to keep using it.

After that, Sasuke decided to try something else next time.

The next time turned out to be the day after, at dinner. Having decided that morning that he'd try again, Sasuke had prepared and treated Naruto to Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto's favorite thing in the world, Sasuke was sure. Surely this time would go better than the last, with ramen in the mix. How could Naruto refuse?

Like this: After Naruto's third bowl of ramen, Sasuke slowly started to gear the (mostly one-sided, with Naruto talking with his mouth full again) conversation towards the recent mission in Suna. He cleverly injected words like _enemy_, _fox_, _blood_, _kill_, and most importantly, _why_. Naruto didn't suspect anything at first, but when Sasuke was forced to get more direct after the fifth bowl and Naruto still didn't get it, he wasn't happy. Sasuke could tell Naruto thought this method was insulting, so he went ahead and just asked what had happened at the clearing.

Naruto had simply smiled and told him to "Go to hell, fucking teme." Before disappearing with a poof.

At least he hadn't punched him. The ramen must've worked its magic, at least a little.

That had been the most recent attempt. So far, Sasuke hadn't learned anything. He was beginning to have doubts that he ever would. They say that the 'third time's the charm', but he wondered if it was worth it. Something just kept coming back and bugging him. A single thought, a single word kept floating around in his head and wouldn't leave.

_Why?_

Why did he care so much all of a sudden? Why did this matter to him? Why did he give a fuck about what happened to Naruto, let alone if something was bothering him? If he was suffering in some way? He should _hate _Naruto. Hadn't he before? Wasn't one of his sole purposes in life to defeat him? To destroy him utterly, until there was nothing left? And he had. He had hated Naruto with a passion. Just the mere thought of him had made his blood boil. The sight of blonde hair or blue eyes had made Sasuke tense up and immediately grab for his sword.

When had that changed? When had that pure, raw, burning hate turned into… something else? Something he didn't have a name for, and didn't wish to identify, for fear of the truth. Perhaps… perhaps when that hand had been offered to him; shown him a way out of that horrid darkness.

But that still didn't explain why he was trying so hard to find out what was wrong with Naruto. A problem of Naruto's wasn't a problem of his. It shouldn't be. And yet here he was, trying his best to get the tiniest bit of information out of him. And not just that, but he wanted to _fix _it as well. He wanted to find the source of Naruto's change and crush it to a pulp. Which was absurd, because Naruto could surely take care of himself. He was one of the strongest ninjas Sasuke had ever known; not that he would ever admit it even if his life depended on it.

So WHY, goddammit?

When Sasuke thought about it, REALLY thought about it, he came up with something satisfactory. It might not be the exact revelation or answer he was hoping for, but it was close enough to what he felt that it appeased him. For now. It felt right, but at the same time, not quite on the mark. Like there was something _more _to it that he didn't know about. It was as if there was something blocking him from realizing his own feelings towards Naruto. And not just Naruto, but the whole village as well. Sasuke was still having mixed emotions on living within Konoha's borders again.

Either way, the conclusion that Sasuke _had _come to was this:

Naruto had always been a constant in his life. Ever since they met, Naruto's presence has always been there. Even when he'd left the village, Naruto's influence followed him in some way. The hate he felt towards the blonde at the time had helped guide him towards his goals. The way the sight of blue eyes and blonde hair had sent him into a fit of rage, because they reminded him of Naruto.

Even in those times, Naruto had never given up on him. He'd chased him across the Five Nations. He'd kept spouting nonsense about bringing Sasuke back to Konoha, to "home". No matter how much Sasuke had demonstrated his hate of everything in the world, _especially _Naruto and Konoha, Naruto hadn't given up. Not until he had "achieved" his goal of dragging Sasuke back. He'd never changed or backed down. Those blue eyes never stopped shining with determination. They had always, _always, _been fixated on Sasuke. Whether as a rival, an enemy, a comrade, a partner, or a friend. Naruto had never left Sasuke, and he had a feeling he wouldn't. That that was just the type of person Naruto was.

Sasuke hadn't had many constants in his life. Everything he'd ever loved or cared for had been taken away from him. He'd moved from place to place like a vagabond. He'd switched allegiances. He got new "teammates". About the only thing that hadn't changed in his life was the way girls fell all over him, especially Sakura. Yeah, a lot of good that did him.

So if Sasuke was truly, completely, honest with himself, which was something he absolutely hated to do when it came to things like this, he would have to say that he was _scared _of losing the one constant in his life. The one thing that had always been there for him. Naruto had always been walking steadily behind him, following him, but now… maybe he would walk _beside _him. He simply just didn't want the one presence in his life that hadn't even once stopped believing in him to go away. To change. Change hadn't exactly been his friend.

He didn't want things to change. That was the simplest explanation for why Sasuke seemed to… care. He would do whatever it took to keep things the way they were, including, and especially, Naruto. He couldn't have something else taken away from him.

He just couldn't.

If he did, the last shreds of decency and sanity inside him would surely break, along with his heart—his _heart_, which had only just finished melting most of the ice surrounding it. During Naruto's absence, he'd felt the ice start to surround his heart again. But with Naruto's return, it had begun to melt once more, like a magic spell. And he found himself not wanting to go back to that emotionless (save for hatred) and cold person he once was. With the ice practically gone, it felt like he could _feel _again. To be a human being, again. Before, he had been so, so cold. Inside and out. But now, everything was so warm. He didn't feel the bitter cold inside himself anymore.

And Naruto was the warmest thing of all.

Sasuke would do anything to protect these newfound feelings and warmth.

Anything.

For that one constant in his life.

* * *

><p>The tension was still there, full blast, when Sakura decided to intrude for no reason other than she felt like it. She claimed it was for old-time's sake, but Sasuke knew better. She had to have <em>some <em>motive. Sakura positioned herself right between Naruto and Sasuke, where they sat waiting on the ground. For once, Sakura ignored Sasuke and talked only to Naruto. He would have found it one of the best moments of his life, if the sight of Sakura and Naruto together didn't make him want to kill something.

"So, Naruto, what's up?" Sakura batted her eyelashes at Naruto.

"Oh, nothing, just waiting for Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said in a bored voice.

"Well, I'll keep you company then!" Sakura laughed and scooted a couple inches closer to Naruto. When Naruto didn't even flinch at the close contact, Sakura moved a couple more inches closer. Their shoulders were touching. Sasuke found that fact very infuriating. And so was the fact that Naruto didn't seem to mind their close proximity one bit. As if it were _natural._

"Why? Don't you have important things to do, or something? Before, you were always complaining about how busy you were." Naruto said in the same bored tone that led Sasuke to believe he didn't really care what Sakura was doing at the moment. Sasuke smirked.

"Hey! My schedule just cleared up a bit, that's all! You should be _happy _I'm gracing you with my presence!" Sakura said defensively.

"Oh, I am." Naruto said monotonely. He wasn't even looking at Sakura anymore. He just stared straight ahead at nothing. Sasuke couldn't blame him. He wouldn't want to look at Sakura's face that close up either.

Sakura's smile faltered a little bit when she heard Naruto's tone, but she quickly put it back up. After that, she kept babbling on about unimportant things like the latest village gossip and whatever she does day to day. Sasuke got a killer headache just from hearing her high-pitched voice; he didn't listen to what she was saying at all, but he couldn't completely block out the sound of her highly annoying voice. He didn't miss how when Sakura shivered and looked at Naruto, after looking confused for a second he hesitantly put his arm over her shoulder. Sakura smiled gratefully and moved _even closer. _She was practically in Naruto's lap!

Sasuke grinded his teeth. _It's not even that cold, dammit! What's she after? The Sakura I knew would never do something like this with Naruto. Why the sudden change? _Sasuke may not have known Sakura's mind very well, but he did know one thing.

He did NOT like Sakura being that close to Naruto.

Not being able to take it anymore, Sasuke shouted "Hey, dobe! Get over here!"

At the sound of Sasuke's voice, Naruto's head immediately shot up and looked over at Sasuke. He scowled at Sasuke's demanding tone and the use of the nickname, but he quickly got up and walked over to Sasuke. Sasuke smirked at how Naruto didn't hesitant when it came to _him, _and at Sakura's more than slightly peeved expression.

"What do you want, teme? Anything I can do for you?" Naruto said with no small hint of sarcasm gracing his voice and expression.

"… Sakura isn't supposed to be with us when we meet Kakashi-sensei anymore. He only called for the two of us, so it must be an Anbu mission," Sasuke finally said, deciding on what to say after calling Naruto over to him on impulse.

"I know that! But she can stay until he gets here," Naruto said irritably.

"Fine. But you better stay over here so we can talk to Kakashi together without any interruptions." Sasuke scowled now.

"Fine!" Naruto glared.

"Fine!" Sasuke glared.

_Are they having a staring contest or something? _Sakura wondered. She couldn't overhear what they were saying, but Naruto and Sasuke were glaring at each other like there was no tomorrow. Like how they used to, she realized with a chuckle.

They stayed that way for who knows how long, until another uninvited guest arrived: Konohamaru.

"Hey, Naruto nii-chan! I haven't seen you in forever!" Konohamaru came bursting into the training grounds at top speed, heading straight for Naruto.

"Oh, hey, Konohama-UGH!" Naruto was nearly knocked flat on his ass when Konohamaru jumped into his unprepared arms. He really hadn't expected that. Konohamaru usually wasn't this affectionate, though he did call Naruto his big brother. Naruto appreciated that, and hugged him tightly. He'd missed the little guy as well.

Konohamaru laughed and hugged him tightly for a few more seconds before letting go. He had a big grin on his face, much like Naruto's own. "Hey, hey! So now that you're back, will you teach me the Rasengan like you promised? Please?"

"Have you been training? Do you think you're ready for it? It takes A LOT of time and effort to master it… I was barely able to do it, with the Pervy Sage as my teacher…"

"Yes I have! I'm LOADS stronger than before! I'll master it in no time! Just watch me!" Konohamaru mimed some fast-paced punches and kicks.

"I dunno… I'm not sure if I have the time to teach you right now… and I really want to see if you're ready for it. The Rasengan isn't something you mess around with," Naruto said, sounding very unsure. Konohamaru was like a little brother to him, but he didn't know if he could teach him a jutsu of that high a level. He wasn't exactly the best teacher in the world.

Konohamaru stood still after hearing Naruto's uncertainty, and appeared deep in thought. "Hmm… Oh, I know! How about this? Will this be enough to prove how worthy I am?" Konohamaru weaved some signs and then shouted dramatically "ART OF ONNANOKO TACHI!"

There was an audible _poof _and a cloud of smoke, from which Konohamaru emerged after a couple seconds. But instead of Konohamaru, a small pre-teen boy, there were two buxom women in a very intimate position. One had brown hair, like Konohamaru, and the other had blonde hair (which looked exactly like Naruto in his Sexy Jutsu form).

"So Naruto, what do you think of this?" the woman with brown hair asked Naruto in a very high-pitched voice that tried to sound alluring.

"I see… You _have _improved Konohamaru. This is starting to look really good! Of course, I can top it, but you're definitely well on your way to my level…" Naruto said while watching the two women very intently. The two women giggled simultaneously.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. This was such a waste of time. And energy. And _time._ Where the fuck was Kakashi?

"NARUTO! How can you teach him this! He's just a little kid! Not to mention that that image is disgusting and degrading to all women. You should be ashamed of yourself!" Sakura screeched. Naruto rolled his eyes. He'd gotten used to Sakura's yelling over trivial things over the years.

Sakura turned to Konohamaru now and pointed a finger. "And YOU Konohamaru! How could you do things like this? You're old enough to know right from wrong; you've had parents to teach you that! You should be ashamed of yourself too! I DON'T want to catch you doing this jutsu again."

"Will you LAY OFF you old hag! There's nothing wrong with it; it's just for fun! Plus, it can be used to distract enemies in battle! Naruto's my big brother, and he's supposed to teach me things. If you don't like the things he teaches me, then why don't you just go away?" Konohamaru yelled and then huffed as he changed back to normal. Naruto raised an eyebrow at Konohamaru's big brother comment, but when he saw Sakura's face he gulped. Sakura was_ mad. _This was not gonna be good.

Sakura's face grew red with rage. "How DARE you, you little BRAT! I just have your best interests at heart! Come here so I can KILL YOU!" Sakura started chasing Konohamaru when he took off running after seeing her face.

"Whoa! You look even uglier when you're mad! I didn't think that was possible!" Konohamaru taunted. He ran faster when Sakura lunged at him; thankfully he dodged or he'd be dead right now.

"Hey, hey! Can't you just let it go, Sakura-chan? No need to kill him. Konohamaru's just joking, right Konohamaru?" Naruto tried to play peace-maker for once and got in their path, but they just ran in a circle around him.

"Nope! How can I joke about something THAT ugly?" Konohamaru laughed and sped up.

"NOT HELPING, Konohamaru! Do you _want _her to kill you?"

Sakura let out a high-pitched screech at Konohamaru's words. She was going to KILL that little brat if it was the last thing she did! "Get over here and face me like a man! I bet you can't, can ya? That's why you have to rely on stupid little tricks like that. But it won't work on me, because I'm a girl!" Sakura taunted back. "You could never do high-level jutsu like the Rasengan! Naruto would be wasting his time trying to teach you!"

"You take that back!" Konohamaru growled and spun around to face Sakura, but kept running.

"Never, you stupid BRAT!"

"What did you call me?"

"You heard me, BRAT!"

"Will you stop calling me a brat! I'm NOT a brat!" Konohamaru stopped and stomped his foot, to prove his point. Or rather, Sakura's.

"I'll stop calling you a brat when you can actually manage to beat me in a real battle!" Sakura stopped as well and sneered at Konohamaru.

Naruto groaned. "Stop it guys! This is stupid! You're BOTH acting like kids!"

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Sakura and Konohamaru shouted in unison. Naruto groaned again. He knew that he wasn't one to talk…

Meanwhile, Sasuke was thinking up many ways to horribly and painfully kill the two causes of his migraine. If they didn't shut up soon, he was seriously going to do something he'd… okay no, he probably wouldn't regret it.

"Oh, so you think I can't beat you, huh? Well, how about this: ART OF OTOKONOKO TACHI!" Konohamaru weaved the same signs as before, and just like last time there was a small popping sound and a light cloud of smoke covering up Konohamaru's form.

What emerged would change both Naruto and Sasuke's lives irrevocably, forever.

Two men could be seen once the smoke dispersed, in an even more intimate position than the two women had been. They were entangled together, just like lovers would be. And it wasn't just any two random men.

It was Naruto and Sasuke.

"Sasuke" was on top of "Naruto" and his eyes were smoldering with a lustful passion. The intensity with which he looked at the man beneath him was almost hard to believe, but it looked so real it couldn't be denied. As for "Naruto", he was gazing at the man above him with just as much intensity, and his blushing expression was so unlike the real Naruto's that it even harder to believe.

The three of them were in too much shock to say anything. That is, until Sakura let a very high-pitched squeal of delight that almost broke the sound barrier and a gush of blood erupted from her nose that made her faint.

Sasuke and Naruto were both still speechless and frozen in shock to catch her. The only one making any noise now was the two men who suddenly began howling with laughter after watching Sakura faint. As Sasuke's brain slowly started overcoming the shock, the thought passed that he would kill Konohamaru for putting such a stupid expression on his face.

Naruto still didn't know quite what to think. His mind was just racing with so many thoughts he thought it would overload his brain or something. But as he slowly came to realize exactly what was in front of him, his face turned redder than flames. _Omigod omigod omigod omigod omigod. WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS THAT? And Sakura saw it! Why the hell did she faint anyway? She looked like she… liked it or something. Is she into things like that? THAT'S SO EMBARRASSING! Me and Sasuke aren't like that! Sasuke's not like that. So why would Konohamaru choose US to show her? I'm going to KILL him! Why is Sasuke on top anyway? I could totally be on top, couldn't I? Why is Sasuke always the dominant one? Gah! Sasuke! What does the think about this? What if he gets mad? WHAT IF THIS PUTS WEIRD IDEAS IN HIS HEAD? _All of these thoughts occurred in about five seconds.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, KONOHAMARU? I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT! CHANGE BACK, CHANGE BACK! BEFORE I KILL YOU!" Naruto shouted, but he was completely ignored by everyone. Especially Konohamaru, who kept laughing.

And Naruto was right to worry about that last thought. Because the image before them of "Naruto" and "Sasuke" in bed naked still entangled (and Konohamaru still laughing in that form) was in fact, putting very weird ideas in his head. Things that had never even crossed his mind before, things he never knew to be possible, were working their way into his mind.

Sasuke found that the image of him and Naruto together like _that _didn't bother him nearly as much as it should in fact, it didn't bother him at all. It actually gave him something to think about that never would have occurred to him otherwise. Like… what if the reason Naruto was different than everyone else, his one absolute, was because he thought of him in a different way than the rest?

Suddenly, that image was looking kind of appealing. Could it be true then? Out of curiosity, Sasuke stepped closer to "Naruto" and "Sasuke" to get a better look. In truth, the thought of them together like that kind of fascinated him. Them… together… Sasuke found himself staring at "Naruto's" still blushing face as it laughed. The sound was annoying, but his headache was already as bad it could get so it didn't make much of a difference.

"S-Sasuke?" Naruto asked cautiously. "What're you doing? Is, um, something wrong? You're not trying to blast Konohamaru through with a Chidori like I thought you would." He stepped closer to Sasuke so he could look at his face, though he was a little nervous. He'd been on the receiving end of Sasuke's irritation more times than he liked to think of.

"… No, nothing's wrong. It's fine. It's fine," Sasuke repeated after a pause. He looked like he was deep in thought about something, so Naruto didn't want to push his luck.

"Um, okay… are you sure? Cause, um, I'm kind of mad at Konohamaru too, for THAT. But there's no need to kill him, or anything. So what do you say we walk away before we do something we regret, right? Cause I kind of could kill him right now," Naruto said while obviously trying not to look at the two still laughing men. His face was still a bright shade of red, but not as intense.

"… Sure." Was all Sasuke said. He wasn't even looking at Naruto; he kept staring at the two of "them" with a level of concentration that most people wouldn't. Naruto noticed, but didn't say anything for fear of Sasuke changing his mind. But he did find it odd. Odd that now he wanted to stare at "them" too.

As Naruto and Sasuke turned around to leave Konohamaru finally caught his breath and stopped laughing. He changed back with another _poof _and caught up to Naruto and Sasuke. "Hey guys, where ya going? I thought you were going to teach me the Rasengan."

"Not now, Konohamaru." Naruto grit his teeth with irritation. Forget Sasuke, HE was going to strangle the kid if he didn't shut up soon.

"Aw, come on! Are you seriously mad about that? I was just showing her the truth, really. You should be thanking me; maybe she won't bother you and Sasuke as much"

Naruto stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean, the truth?" The anger in his voice was obvious, and it finally made Konohamaru a little nervous.

"Well, I mean, you guys are so obviously, well, _you know…" _Konohamaru stuttered as he spoke.

"We. Are. Not."

Sasuke thought he saw Naruto's eyes flash red. Uh-oh. Oh well, he wasn't going to do anything to stop him if he got angry. The kid deserved to be taught a lesson. But Naruto might regret it if he killed the brat, so he'd stop him before that happened.

"Oh come on, you guys are so obviously gay for each other-"

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!" Naruto shouted after Konohamaru, who had smartly taken off running when he saw Naruto's red eyes. His face was a little red too, now.

Sasuke's eyes widened at Konohamaru's confession. Did everyone seriously think they were… together? There goes that word again, bouncing around his head. It was getting annoying. He would have to do something about that. But either way, it was something to think about.

For now, Sasuke just decided to enjoy the show of Naruto attempting to catch Konohamaru, who was worse than a monkey. He was definitely rooting for Naruto. About an hour later, after Naruto showed Konohamaru exactly how dangerous a Rasengan could be if it hit you in the stomach Kakashi finally decided to show up.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. You see, there was a dolphin in the middle of the road, and…" Kakashi stopped when he saw the scene before him. Konohamaru was lying on the ground passed out and Naruto was in front of him with a very large anger mark on his cheek; Sakura was lying on the ground as well in a pool of blood that seemed to originate from her nose; and Sasuke was leaning against a tree nonchalantly enjoying the show that must have transpired.

"You got something to say, too, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto growled when he finally noticed the silver-haired man.

"No, not at all! In fact, why don't you guys just take the rest of the day off and we can talk about it tomorrow?" There was no way he was dealing with an angry Naruto and an irritated Sasuke right now. It wasn't worth it.

So all three left the training grounds, completely forgetting about the pink banshee still lying on the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>So that was it. How was it? Was it TOO much into Sasuke's feelings? I know there wasn't a lot of action or anything in it; I'm hoping to make the next chapter a little more dramatic in some ways. We'll see. Anyways, please review! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! I'll say it in another language if I have to- por favor! If you review I will love you a thousand times more than before and will even give you a cookie that me and my mom just made! So get them before they're goooooone! :D <strong>


	15. 8:00 on the 25th

**I was on vacation for a little over two weeks, so that's my excuse about why this chapter took so long. I have three things going, you know. This, a Blue Exorcist fic, and an RP on another website with my favorite person in the world. So I'm spread thin. This chapter is also unbetaed. If there is anyone interested in betaing this, please let me know because I can't find one that will stick with me. I'm starting to think it's my fault… **

**Disclaimer: Consider me disclaimed**

* * *

><p>"Sasuke!" Naruto panted. "No more!"<p>

"Oh, come on. Just one more round."

"No! I can't take anymore."

"But I'm not quite done yet. Naruto…" Sasuke panted Naruto's name.

"MY ASS FUCKING HURTS!"

"THEN STOP FALLING ON IT."

Naruto and Sasuke had been sparring for the past three hours with almost no pause or rest until this moment. Sasuke had been the winner of every round, much of which had ended with Naruto falling flat on his butt. That resulted in the blonde currently laying sprawled out on the training room floor with his butt in the air, breathing heavily trying to get more oxygen into his much abused lungs. Sasuke stood over Naruto, not quite panting but breathing pretty heavily himself. When he finally caught his breath he smirked with such smugness to it that Naruto immediately wanted to wipe it off his face with a nice right hook. Not that he could get up at the moment, much less even move more than necessary to breathe.

"Don't go thinking you're superior just because I kept letting you win." Naruto managed to get out in between gasps for breathe before Sasuke could say anything.

"Oh, is that what happened?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow, still smirking. "Because I was under the impression that I'm better than you in each and every way possible, which is why I won EVERY time."Not that it hadn't come close a few times to ruining that perfect winning streak, but Sasuke would never admit that. He felt much too cocky, so of course he had to tease Naruto a little bit.

"Well, you're not, and never will be, so get over yourself." Naruto grumbled.

"Not likely, considering I just kicked your ass time after time again. I'm gonna be feeling good for a _long _time." Sasuke said almost playfully. Playful, well, for Sasuke.

"You're such an arrogant bastard!" Naruto groaned loudly and turned over so that he wasn't facing Sasuke anymore. He didn't want to see that flawless, smirking face at all. He closed his eyes, tired.

"Arrogant? Me? It's just a simple fact that I'm stronger than you. Besides, who wouldn't be if they had a face like mine, brains, and the strength to back it all up?" Sasuke half-joked.

Though Naruto couldn't see it, he could _hear _the smirk Sasuke had. Okay, he had to admit that Sasuke was pretty much perfect in every way: he was really smart, super strong with tons of jutsus, and he was easy on the eyes, he guessed. Very easy. Like, super easy… No, he was NOT going to follow that thought. To distract himself, Naruto let himself wonder if the air felt colder yet; surely hell must have frozen over if Sasuke was actually trying to joke around a little. Sasuke's voice had been just a little softer, with a slight lilt to it that told him that must have been the case. If he hadn't been here to see it, he would never have believed it. But Sasuke had also insulted him, so he had to retaliate with whatever strength he could muster.

"No way! You only won because we agreed no jutsu, only taijutsu. I would have flattened you with a Rasengan if it was real. And you're not _that _hot." Naruto muttered the last part under his breath because he knew Sasuke would totally misinterpret it. He didn't mean it like _that way, _nope, not at all. He meant like… like a hot commodity, yeah, that was it. A lot of people still treated him like the precious Uchiha heir who could do no wrong.

"You're a sore loser. You'll never beat me, so why don't _you _get over yourself, dobe."

"Am not. And I will TOO." Naruto lacked the energy to say or do anything more, his words even sounded tired now.

"Heh, a dobe like you will never be anything better." Sasuke taunted.

"I will…" Sasuke waited for Naruto to finish, but when he didn't the raven turned Naruto over to see him passed out and lightly snoring.

_Huh. 'I will…' what? And I didn't think it took THAT much out of him. How pathetic. _Two seconds later, Sasuke followed and collapsed right next to Naruto on the floor.

"Naruto. Naruto, wake up." Sasuke's voice slowly broke through the barrier of sleep, and Naruto drifted back to consciousness. He immediately became aware that now his butt AND his back really hurt. His bed felt an awful lot like a hard floor, for some reason. Wait, this couldn't be his bed. It actually was the floor, he realized. He was on the floor of the training room; he'd passed out there after sparring with Sasuke.

Thinking of Sasuke, for some odd reason he felt like he had to get back at him… for an insult… or something. Wait, wasn't that Sasuke's voice right now? The raven was still speaking, but Naruto wasn't really tuning in; he could tell by the tone it was some very annoying nagging. Still, he supposed he should listen, in case Sasuke told him something important. He wasn't much one for small talk, so there had to be a reason for him speaking. Where was Sasuke anyway? Oh yeah, he still had his eyes closed. It'd probably be a good idea to open them…

"-wake up or else I SWEAR I will dump bucket after bucket of cold water on you until you do-"

Naruto groaned and opened his eyes to see Sasuke standing in front of him, frowning. Well, his lips were turned slightly more downward than they usually were. Sasuke seemed to have a permanent frown.

"Finally you're awake! I've been trying for over ten minutes, since the second I woke up. If you don't hurry up we'll-"

"How long have I been out?" Naruto interrupted as he sat up and yawned loudly. Sasuke's frown grew in relation to the length of Naruto's yawn.

"For about three hours; so we really need to-"

"Hey, you bastard! How dare you insult me when I'm down!" Naruto responded to the last thing Sasuke said before he passed out as well. "And why were you sleeping next to me anyway?" Naruto asked, remembering the distinctive warmth of another person next to him while he slept.

"No reason, now if we don't get going-"

For the fourth time in a row, Naruto interrupted Sasuke. The blonde stood up and stretched and said "I'm hungry, so I'm gonna get something to eat. Want anything?" He walked out of the room, leaving Sasuke and his ever growing scowl alone, plus a headache to match.

Still, Sasuke followed Naruto to the kitchen where the ninja was rummaging through the fridge. Once he found something he liked he grabbed it and took it to the table. On the way though, Naruto passed by the calendar. He glanced at it before doing a double take. Sasuke would've said some sort of insult at how stupid Naruto looked while doing it if he wasn't so pissed off and trying to tell him something important. "Naruto, if you don't listen to me-"

"Sasuke," Naruto said in a blank tone as he stared at the calendar like he hadn't heard anything, "am I correct in assuming today's date is the 25th?"

Sasuke sighed. Was he finally catching on to it? "Yes."

"And that the time is now 8:00 PM?"

"Yes."

"The SAME 8:00 on the 25th as the party Kiba and the others are throwing for me?"

"Yes."

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me we were gonna miss the party?! Here you had all this time, and that coulda been the first thing you said, but instead you're messing around!" Naruto shouted, but was shut up by the glare Sasuke suddenly shot at him; it was the worst one he'd seen in a while, and it almost made him shiver from its intensity.

"Messing around? MESSING AROUND? Who's the one messing around?" Sasuke's voice came as a soft hiss, his glare increasing tenfold. Naruto resisted the urge to run.

"Heh, me I guess." Naruto said nervously.

"Do you know how many times I've tried to tell you? But you just don't listen, do you?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed. The frustration of not knowing everything about Naruto, plus trying to understand his own feelings was getting to him, and he didn't like it. Which made him more frustrated.

"I listen! I always listen!" Naruto said defensively. "It's not my fault if you can't tell that I'm listening."

"Oh, really? Then what's the first thing I said to you after you woke up?" Sasuke challenged.

"Um… let's see, I think it was…" Naruto's eyes darted around; as if the answer would be written somewhere in room and he just had to find it.

"I tried to tell you EVERY time I opened my mouth. But if _someone _didn't keep interrupting me…"

"But-" Naruto started to defend himself.

"Ugh, will you just shut up? You're such a dobe that we've been wasting all this time arguing. Now we're fifteen minutes late, and if you don't get ready right this minute we'll be an hour! Do you want that?"

"…No." Naruto grumbled and made his way to the bathroom to take a shower. "It's not all my fault." He added in a mumble on his way out.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed just a touch more as he simply pointed a finger in the direction of the bathroom.

Naruto walked a little faster.

* * *

><p>On the way there, Sasuke couldn't help but notice that Naruto seemed a little bit nervous. He wasn't jetting off at top speed to keep from being even later like Sasuke thought he would; instead he opted to walk there at a normal speed. That wasn't like Naruto. Neither was the way the blonde had his hands in his pockets and bit his lip slightly like he was concentrating.<p>

Naruto, for once, wasn't wearing his usual orange and black jumpsuit. After showering he'd changed in a noticeably tighter black t-shirt that emphasized his muscles and deep blue pants. The only orange he had on was a small wristband. No hitai-ate, and the Hokage's necklace was showing.

Sasuke suddenly realized he'd just been staring at Naruto way too intently for way too long; the entire time they'd been walking, about ten minutes. He looked away quickly, thankful that at least Naruto hadn't seemed to notice his odd behavior. He'd most definitely have been teased. He decided to do what he seemed to do best lately and completely ignore thinking about the reason why he'd just been staring at Naruto for over ten minutes and leave it for another day. Or not. Probably not.

Naruto had kept his eyes fixed on the ground the whole time, Sasuke had noticed during his staring. It annoyed him, not seeing those bright blue eyes fixed on him like they always were. Having a cloud hanging over his head like that didn't suit Naruto, so Sasuke decided he would fix it. It was what a… friend would do, right? That word sounded so foreign to him, so wrong. Why was that?

"… Naruto." Sasuke said hesitantly. He waited for Naruto to look up, but the blonde apparently didn't hear and kept his eyes trained on the ground. Sasuke sighed and tried again louder this time. "Naruto." Naruto still didn't hear him. _I didn't think that dobe had it in him to concentrate that hard, or is he just deaf? Yeah, that must be it. _"Naruto!" Still, Naruto ignored him. Sasuke finally lost his patience. "NARUTO, DAMMIT!"

"Huh, what? Did you say something, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, startled, as he finally looked up at the raven.

"Will you listen to me when I'm talking to you? Ugh, you're so annoying." Sasuke snapped.

"Why don't you shut up! I have something on my mind right now, okay? Just leave me alone." Naruto snapped right back. Oh great, here he'd been trying to get Naruto to spill his secrets or worries, but he'd pissed him off instead. Just great. _Way to go, Sasuke. Wait, why does that bother me? Simple: it doesn't._

Sasuke took a deep breath and tried again. "…You can talk to me about it, if you want." He looked away, not able to meet those blue eyes when saying something so embarrassing, though it really shouldn't be.

"Huh? Wh-what are you talking about? As if you'd care!" Naruto looked the other way, not able to meet Sasuke's black eyes either.

"What would you know about what I care about?"Sasuke retorted before he could stop himself. He could sense a curious gaze on him, but there was absolutely no way he could look at eyes that shine that much now. But when they didn't go away he sighed internally and looked to his right to meet them. There was a question in Naruto's eyes._ Do you really care? _It was a simple question, but Sasuke knew it meant a lot to Naruto. Sasuke's answer was just as simple. He looked Naruto straight in the eyes and nodded his head slightly, just once, to give Naruto the go ahead.

Naruto sighed heavily before talking. "It's just… well… what if… what if something goes wrong at the party?" He mumbled the last part so that Sasuke could barely hear it. It amazed him that Naruto could actually be insecure about something, least of all something like a party. The blonde seemed like the type to be the life of one.

"Like what?" Sasuke asked, a little taken aback.

"Well… Kiba said A LOT of people were coming. What if they don't have a good time? What if people I don't know show up and they don't like me? What if I embarrass myself? What if I look stupid? What if no one shows up at all? What if-"

"Naruto." Sasuke didn't quite shout it, but I had the same effect of shutting Naruto up. He just couldn't take the rambling anymore. Naruto shot him a questioning look, all the while looking ready to tear his hair out. Sasuke couldn't help but think how weird it was to see Naruto like this. "Everything will be fine," Sasuke said in a normal tone. "Now shut up."

"But how do you know that?" Naruto asked skeptically.

"Because you're you." Sasuke said quietly.

That made Naruto shut up. He was afraid Sasuke would see his blush, so he quickly looked the other way. They were silent the rest of the time.

* * *

><p>"NARUTO! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SO LATE? YOU'RE THE GUEST OF HONOR!" Kiba shouted as he ran out of the restaurant where the party was being to greet-yell- at Naruto.<p>

"Sorry Kiba," Naruto said sheepishly, "We just kind of lost track of time during sparring, and then I passed out…" He ran his fingers through his hair nervously.

Kiba sighed, but he didn't really look angry anymore. "Well, nothing we can do about it, I suppose. Let's just get our party on!" He laughed and grabbed Naruto's wrist to drag him into the restaurant. Naruto looked surprised, but he was quick to laugh right along with Kiba.

Sasuke was not amused. Kiba annoyed him. More than most people. Seeing the idiotic dog-boy once again reminded Sasuke of the time his hate for him made itself known.

_He didn't remember exactly when it happened, just sometime during Naruto's year-long absence. He had been feeling particularly nostalgic (that's all it was, nothing more; he didn't miss Naruto or anything) so he'd decided to go to Ichiraku's for a ramen lunch. It wasn't like he had anything better to do. There hadn't been a ton of D-rank missions lately._

_Sasuke sat down on a stool and waited to place his order. The old man was with someone else, he saw. A guy with brown hair and strange red tattoos on his cheeks. Kiba, he placed the name after thinking about for a few seconds. Sitting next to him was that freak, Shino. Even when eating he apparently didn't take off his hood or his sunglasses. Akamaru lay at their feet lazily._

_Sasuke ordered a bowl of pork ramen, and waited some more. Since there was only one seat separating him and Kiba, he couldn't help but overhear his and Shino's conversation._

"_I wanted to come here because I was hoping to see Naruto, since he always eats here, but I guess he's still gone. I haven't seen him in forever, like months! Do you think he's on some sort of super-important mission?" Kiba slurped on his ramen while Shino responded._

"_It seems that would be the most logical conclusion; or that the Hokage has him hiding somewhere in case what's left of the Akatsuki decides to show its face again. He is one of the two Jinchuriki left." _

"_I guess… damn, I just really wanted to spar with him ever since I saw what he can while fighting Pein and all that! It would be a good match. "_

"_Hmm." Shino hummed while he politely ate his noodles._

"_Speaking of Naruto, I heard that he was forced to take Sasuke in after we brought him back. And that he's still living there, even though Naruto isn't!" _

_Shino just nodded his head. Sasuke grit his teeth a little._

"_Isn't that horrible? Man, I just can't imagine living with that guy. I couldn't stand it. I feel bad for Naruto for having to go through that. I mean, I know he promised Sakura to bring Sasuke back, but that doesn't mean he has to live with the guy! He tried to kill him multiple times! Ugh. Anyways, I just wish I could do something for Naruto to help him out. I mean, I am practically his best friend and all, now." Obviously Kiba didn't realize who was sitting just one seat away from him._

"_I thought that role was filled by Sasuke." Said Shino._

"_I thought so too." Sasuke stood up as he finished his ramen. Kiba turned around and the full force of one of Sasuke's famous glares of death. He cowered a little in his seat from the strength of it._

"_Oh, uh, hi Sasuke! So nice to see you! You didn't hear our conversation just now, did you?" Kiba said nervously. His hands were shaking. He'd never had the opportunity to see Sasuke this mad before._

"_As a matter of fact, I did." Sasuke smirked when he saw Kiba's face drop. If Kiba had a tail, it would definitely be between his legs right now. "So, as Naruto's best friend, what do you suppose I do? I have to stay in the center of the city, due to the Hokage's rules. I have little money, since I can only take D-rank missions. I can't rent an apartment. What do you suggest?"_

"_Well, uh, may-maybe stay with a friend?" Kiba gulped._

"_Exactly. So, as Naruto's best friend, do I have your permission to continue staying in his house, as I have nowhere else to live, due to the HOKAGE'S orders?" If it was possible, Sasuke's glare grew in intensity with every word he spoke. _

"_Heh, heh, Sasuke, you know I didn't mean anything by that-"_

"_I'll take that as a yes. But, know this," Sasuke grabbed the collar of Kiba's shirt and pulled him forward so they were eyelevel, "If you think you are the one closest to Naruto, you are sorely mistaken. You are BENEATH him. I am his rival." He threw Kiba to the ground and left without so much as a backwards glance. Akamaru barked at him the whole way._

"_That was the scariest moment of my life! I almost died!" Kiba wailed. "That bastard! Next time, I'M going to teach him a lesson!" Sweat dripped off his face as he picked himself up and onto the stool._

"_Then why didn't you do it today?" Shino offered._

"_SHUT IT! And hey, why didn't you do anything?" Kiba barked._

"_It was too funny."_

"_You're a bastard too." Kiba muttered. "But still, what the hell was that about? He seemed like he was pissed that I called myself Naruto's best friend…"_

"_Sasuke is very territorial." Was all Shino said._

"…_What the hell does that mean?"_

* * *

><p>Sasuke only hesitated for a second more before following Naruto and Kiba into the restaurant. He could hear loud cheering from outside the restaurant, and inside it was ten times as loud as everyone in the room greeted the guest of honor, Naruto. There was whooping and hollering as dozens of people clapped Naruto on the back, hugged him, and shook his hand. Naruto's expression was comparable to that of a deer in the headlights, but there was also some embarrassment mixed in. overall, though, he genuinely seemed happy. That was all that mattered… but did they have to touch him so much?<p>

The room was really decorated for a party. There were balloons floating everywhere, confetti on the floor, and even a big banner hung in the doorway that read 'Welcome Home, Happy Birthday, and Congratulations, Naruto!' _Well, that's certainly a… creative sign, _Sasuke thought.

Everyone quieted down as Sakura stood up and made an announcement. "Okay everyone, now that the guest of honor's here, I'd like to make a toast. I just want to say, and I'm sure you all agree with me, thank you Naruto for all you have ever done for the village! This party is to welcome you home after your long absence, to congratulate you on accomplishing your goal of becoming a respected ninja and bringing Sasuke home, and to wish you happy birthday, since we missed the actual date. This may not make up for everything that happened in your past, but we just want you to know that there are people who care about you now and appreciate everything you do for us and the village. And so," Sakura raised her glass high, "to Naruto!"

"TO NARUTO!" Everyone in the room raised their glasses at the same time and clinked them with those nearby before taking a gulp. Meanwhile, Naruto sat at the end of the long table, blushing like mad at all the praise and not knowing what to do with himself. When the toasting was done, Kiba stood up like Sakura had.

"Well, I was the one who had the idea to have this party, but Sakura pretty much said everything I wanted to say, so… Thanks man, you're a really good friend. Just don't let it go to your head." Everyone joined in the laughter, even Naruto.

From his spot by the door, Sasuke had a good view of the room and the people in it. Most of the ninja in the village seemed to be here. Sakura, Kiba, Neji, Lee, Chouji, Tenten, Shikamaru, Hinata, Ino, Shino, Sai, Gai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, Ibisu-sensei, Ibiki, Anko, Konohamaru and his friends, plus tons of other ninja of Konoha, and even the Hokage herself, along with Shizune. Being surrounded by so many ninja, some that had even tried to harm him, put him on edge. _Shouldn't these people be doing their jobs instead of partying? _He thought.

Drinks were all around; he swore some of the adults were already drunk. Anko definitely was, with her slurring and grabbing anybody within a few feet of her. The Hokage was too, judging by her slightly red face, but what else was new? Tired of seeing people hanging on Naruto, Sasuke made his way over to the man of the hour.

"Sasuke!" Naruto smiled when Sasuke was in front of him. His cheeks were the tiniest bit red. _Oh great, is he already drunk? I better keep an eye on him so he doesn't have too much. _Sasuke justified it by telling himself he wouldn't want to deal with the fallout if Naruto got completely smashed, so he better prevent it while he can. It wasn't that he wanted to by Naruto's side, nope.

"What is it, dobe?" said Sasuke as he sat down by Naruto, wedging himself between Naruto and Kiba. Kiba shot him a dirty look when he was pushed, but when he saw who did it, he gulped and turned the other way. Smart move.

"Sasuke, I'm having fun! Are you having fun?" Naruto laughed loudly, even though no one had said anything funny. _Yup, he's at least a little tipsy._

"Hn." Said Sasuke, and he shrugged. He didn't like crowds, but if it made Naruto happy, he'd endure it. Wait, what? Damn, now he was getting pissed off. The same stupid kind of thoughts kept popping in his head in moments like this, when he was with Naruto. Every time it irritated him more and more.

Naruto, who was used to Sasuke being a man of few words, was apparently satisfied with the answer. "Come on Sasuke, drink, drink!" He thrust a cup of sake toward the raven, who hesitantly accepted it. _Oh well, just one cup can't hurt, right?_

Thankfully, as the night went on, Sasuke was able to keep Naruto from drinking much more sake, and he had even sobered up quite a bit. He himself had one more cup, but that was because Anko shoved it down his throat. He was a little disappointed, along with the rest of Cell Seven, that Kakashi-sensei had managed to evade detection of his face again. He had a feeling that would become a life-long goal of theirs that was destined to be unfulfilled.

Throughout the night, many people had come and tapped on Naruto's shoulders to congratulate him and make some small talk; after all, for some people it was over a year since they had seen him. Sasuke didn't mind too much, but he couldn't help watching intently when they did. _Damn, those thoughts again. _Sasuke's hand curled into a fist.

"Hey, Naruto." It was Sakura this time. "What's up? Are you having fun?" She sat so that she was next to Naruto, but not next to Sasuke.

"Hi Sakura-chan! I'm having a blast! Thanks for throwing me this awesome party." Naruto smiled one of his famous smiles and actually _hugged _Sakura.

Sakura smiled and hugged Naruto back. She looked Sasuke straight in the eyes and smirked. Sasuke's hand twitched, wishing he had his sword with him this very second so he could cut her into a million pieces. Maybe give Naruto a few whacks as well.

"So listen, I wanted to talk to you about something. Do you mind stepping outside for a bit?" Sakura asked Naruto.

"Uh, sure." Sakura smiled and the two of them stood up. Naruto turned to Sasuke and said "Come on, Sasuke. Sakura wants to talk."

Sasuke's eyes widened considerably in surprise. Sakura had clearly wanted to talk to Naruto alone, didn't the idiot realize that? But that was why he was an idiot, he guessed. The thought that Naruto expected him to come without a second thought made him smirk. He made sure to direct it right at Sakura.

"Naruto, can't it be just the two of us?" Sakura said quickly.

"Why? Anything you can say to me, you can say to Sasuke too. He is our teammate, after all."

"No, really, I'm sure Sasuke would rather stay here than listen to me talk to you, right Sasuke?" Sakura said sweetly, looking at Sasuke hopefully.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind getting away from all these people. And I am quite interested in what you have to say, Sakura." Sasuke almost wanted to full-out grin when he saw how much Sakura's face fell. It was priceless.

"Then it's settled! We're all going!" Naruto smiled and led the way out the door. He didn't notice Sasuke and Sakura glaring daggers at each other behind his back.

Once they were a few feet away from the restaurant, Sakura led them further away into a tiny clearing populated by just enough trees to thinly surround it, which was very rare in this part of the city. The moon was their main source of light, since the trees disguised those of the city. It was a lot easier to see the stars here, and Sasuke couldn't help but wish he and Naruto were here to watch the stars instead of listening to Sakura babble on.

"So what did you want to talk to me about? It must be something really important since you dragged us all the way out here." Naruto inquired as they stepped into the clearing.

"Well, um… you see… look, Sasuke, I REALLY want to talk to Naruto alone, so will you give us some space, please?" She turned to Sasuke, practically begging. He could see the desperation in her eyes and in her voice too, but… he just didn't care.

"You can say it in front of me, Sakura. You know you can talk to me and Naruto about anything." He smirked as he mocked her. Sakura did NOT appreciate it.

"UGH, fine, if you want me to just say it, I'll say it. But I bet you won't like how it turns out." She glared at Sasuke before turning her back to him and focused on Naruto. "Naruto, I need to talk to you about something important. Do you mind?"

"Nope, not at all." He smiled to show just how much he didn't mind.

Sakura smiled back. "Good. Naruto, you kept your promise to me. You brought Sasuke back safe and sound, with no regard for your own life. You did whatever it took to get him back, just like you said. You're so strong for that. Thank you, Naruto. Thank you so much for doing this for me. It means so, so much to me, more than you will ever know." Tiny tears glistened in her eyes as she got emotional.

_If there is a god, please kill me now, _Sasuke thought.

"And while you were doing all you could to get him back, I realized something. You were always there for me, Naruto. Always. You didn't leave me like Sasuke did. You stayed by side, and even risked your life multiple times to save me. It was you, Naruto, that thought of me." At that moment Sakura raised her hand to lightly touch Naruto's cheek. The blonde's eyes were wide, and they seemed to be glued to Sakura. Sasuke thought about ripping her arm off, but decided against it. But if she went any further…

"Naruto," Sakura continued, "I came to realize that I loved YOU, not Sasuke. Not anymore. You, who always thought of me. All the time chasing after Sasuke should have been spent with you. You already admitted that you like me, always asking me on dates. And now I'm finally ready to say yes." She smiled as she finished and let her hand drop, waiting for Naruto's reaction. She seemed very confident, judging by the almost grin.

At that moment, Sasuke was ready to rip her head off. But he knew he shouldn't. Deep down, he knew Naruto needed to decide this for himself. And really, what was there to decide? Sakura was right; Naruto has always pined for her ever since their genin days. It hadn't been a secret. Of course he would say yes. A part of Sasuke had suspected this when Sakura had asked to speak to him alone, but a bigger part of him had been in denial. He held his breath when Naruto spoke.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto looked like he was about to say something, then changed his mind. He took a deep breath and tried again. "Sakura-chan, why are you lying to yourself?"

"Wh-What? What are you talking about?" Sakura's eyes looked like they were going to bulge out of her head. Would have been nice.

"I mean, this isn't like last time, when you weren't lying to yourself, but to me. You truly didn't love me like that. But now, you're trying to tell yourself that you do. You're trying to force yourself into loving me, and I bet it's because Sasuke doesn't love you. You're trying to MAKE the love you had for Sasuke turn into love for me. And I want to know why." At that, Sakura collapsed.

"Naruto, why are you doing this to me? I really do love you. I thought you loved me too…"

"You don't, Sakura-chan. You really don't."

"But I do! I do! I really, really do love you…" Sakura started to sob loudly, grating on Sasuke's nerves. But he was satisfied. It was obvious Naruto was telling the truth. He just wished he had seen it himself. It all made sense after Naruto had said it. When had the dobe grown so smart?

"Sakura-chan, please stop lying to yourself. You're only going to hurt yourself more." He kneeled down to her eye-level and looked at her with pity in his eyes.

Sakura wailed some more before gathering her voice enough to say something they could mostly understand through all her hiccupping. "I thought I did. I really thought I did love you, for a while. I WANTED to love you. I truly, truly did."

"Why?" Naruto asked. He had to be sure.

""Because… Because you were safe! I knew you wouldn't leave me." She sobbed some more. "You wouldn't ever leave me. You wouldn't be like Sasuke. I even knew for sure that you liked me. But… but after you came back, and he still didn't love me, I tried so hard. I tried to force myself to feel something for you, like what I had felt for Sasuke. Because it would make everyone happy. Me, you , and probably Sasuke too, since he wouldn't have to deal with you anymore. Everything would have been perfect. Except it didn't work! No matter how much I thought about you, only Sasuke was in my heart!" More wails.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan, for being honest with me. And for being honest with yourself." Naruto smiled and embraced Sakura. She clung to him as she sobbed, getting his nice shirt all wet. Sasuke thought that was incredibly rude, even if Naruto did initiate it.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I can't return your love. So sorry…" Believe it or not, more sobs.

"It's okay, there's no need to apologize. You see, there's actually someone I already love."

"WHAT? WHO?" Sakura pulled back and wiped her eyes, brightening at the chance for gossip.

"Well, um… I kinda don't want to say, since this is really real, and you were more of an infatuation, so…" Naruto rubbed his head, embarrassed.

Sasuke honestly didn't know how to deal with this new bit of information. He was speechless. Frozen. Paralyzed.

"Is it Hinata-chan?" Sakura asked, not giving up that easily.

"Uh… no…" Naruto said nervously.

"Who else could it be? Tenten?"

"NO."

"Then who the hell is it?" Sakura screamed as she shook Naruto violently, forgetting about her sorrow from just a minute ago.

"Gah! No one! No one at all! Forget I said anything!" said Naruto, his voice bobbing up and down with the shaking.

"Hmph! She probably won't be good enough for you if I don't know her. I may not love you like that, but I still think of you as a kind of brother."

Naruto chuckled, but his expression turned serious. "Sakura-chan, do you still love Sasuke?"

"… Yeah. I still do." She looked at the sky longingly. "But I think I've come to terms with it. I know he doesn't love me. He never will. He never looks at me. I don't what it is he's walking towards, but it's not me. It's like he only sees one thing, and I don't know what it is. If it's still not me, after he's accomplished his goal and left and came back, then I don't think it ever will be. But… but that's okay. I think after this I can move on." All of this was said in a whisper so that Sasuke wouldn't hear. After Naruto's rejection Sasuke had moved back a little, but they wanted to be safe.

"That's great, Sakura-chan!" Naruto pulled her into one more quick hug. She laughed. Sakura and Naruto headed towards Sasuke so they could go back to the restaurant.

"Are you done whispering?" Sasuke said accusingly. "What were you talking about?" He asked Naruto.

"N-Nothing!" Sakura saw Naruto's face grow red, as in a blush. "Nothing at all!"

"Oh? So who do you like, Naruto?" Sasuke smirked.

"NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!" Naruto hollered, his face growing redder by the second.

Watching this, watching how Naruto blushed around Sasuke, the way he looked at him…

"Tell me." Sasuke insisted.

"Never!"

_No way. It can't be… It couldn't be… but… it is, isn't it? _Sakura thought. "It's him, isn't it Naruto?" Sakura blurted in a shaky breath.

"Wh-What?" Naruto froze.

_And Sasuke… I had almost thought he was jealous before, with the way he acted, which was what I had been going for… but he wasn't jealous of Naruto, he was jealous of me! "_And you! You like him too!" Sakura shrieked as she pointed at Sasuke.

"And what if I do? What business is it of yours?" Sasuke hissed menacingly before he could stop himself.

"Sasuke? What're you… what's…" Naruto stuttered, his face red again.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun, what IS going on?" a voice like ice echoed out of nowhere. But even if they couldn't see him, they all knew that voice.

"Show yourself." Sasuke commanded.

"Well, it appears you still remember my voice, even if it is a little different than the first time you met me…" and Kabuto stepped out of the shoulders. He was just like the last time Sasuke had seen him, with his serpentine appearance.

"What do you want? Tell me before I kill you." Sasuke threatened. Naruto stood next to him, ready to attack, but he seemed to be following Sasuke's lead.

"Oh, nothing. You see, I was just passing by when I just happened to hear that juicy bit of gossip about you possibly liking your teammate, Naruto." Kabuto's voice hissed a little like a snake.

"Get to the point. I can kill you before or after you say it; it makes no difference to me." Said Sasuke.

"Oh? You're still so cold-hearted, Sasuke-kun. And here I thought your love for Naruto would thaw you out a little. So, did you tell him yet? About what happened to your former teammates in Taka? About the reason why you were at that abandoned warehouse where he found you? And why you're REALLY here in Konoha?"

* * *

><p><strong>Tee hee. Did I get anyone with the beginning? Did I? I hope I didn't disappoint anyone. Not to worry though, since it won't be much longer at all until those things start happening for real! So stick with me! PLEASE! I feel like a broken record… but please review. Tell me what you think of the chapter. Did it suck? Or was it half-way decent? Please let me know. The more you review the more motivation I have to write the next chapter faster. I haven't had much motivation recently… so PLEASE REVIEW and I will give you a million thanks as well as a donut! :D Por Favor?<strong>


	16. Everything About You

**Okay, be warned, there's a CRAZY Sasuke in this chapter. He's all over the place. But part of it's in the past, so… please don't hold it against me. Sasuke's a bastard, it's all his fault. And yes, I had to go back and reread my writing (which I hate doing and almost made me puke because of how bad it was) from chapter two, and Sasuke's thoughts at the very end of the flashback were copied directly from it. Oh, just in case anyone hasn't seen yet, I use my profile to update where I'm at in my writing. So if you want to know, then check it out under STATUS. **

**Disclaimer: I don't even think Masashi Kishimoto-sensei would make Sasuke this crazy… But he owns him, so what do I know?**

* * *

><p>"Wh-What? What are you talking about?" Naruto shouted.<p>

"So he really hasn't told you?" Kabuto turned to Naruto and snickered. It made Naruto really want to just hit him straight in the chest with a Rasengan, but he also wanted to find out what this lunatic was talking about. "You see, Sasuke-kun here-"

"Naruto, don't listen to a thing that _abomination _says. You know he's a liar." Sasuke said with a blank tone and expression. On the outside he was cool, but on the inside he was cursing himself for not bringing his katana. He had it with him nearly all the time, but he hadn't felt the need to bring it to a simple party. Damn him for getting soft.

Naruto frowned and looked worried, but nodded. Meanwhile, Sakura took out a kunai and got into a defensive stance. She knew Kabuto was too fast for her to try escaping, but she also wanted to hear what he had to say anyway. He might spill some information about the Akatsuki inadvertently. And even if Kabuto lied a lot of the time, that didn't mean he couldn't be telling the truth about Sasuke. If there was something suspicious about her teammate, she needed to know, even if it hurt her.

"Oh come now Sasuke-kun, isn't that a little harsh? I'm merely doing what you were trying to do; I'm accomplishing my goals by ANY means necessary. That was your policy, was it not?" Kabuto sneered at Sasuke now, challenging him with his eyes and words to deny it. He knew the raven couldn't though, because it was true. They all knew it.

"Why are you here?" Sakura suddenly shouted, trying to get any information possible. "What do you want from us? Do you seriously think that you can destroy Konoha all by yourself? Or do you have allies lying in wait to attack?"

Kabuto turned to address Sakura with a devilish smile on his face. "Even if I was planning that, little girl, what makes you think that I'd tell you, or that any ninja in this village could stop it?" Kabuto watched it sink in as the three Konoha nin grew tense. He could do whatever he wanted to this village, and they'd be practically powerless to stop it. The thought made him grin wider. "But no, that's not _exactly _why I'm here. That's not to say that everyone will leave here alive, but the total destruction of Konoha isn't on the agenda for today. I'm saving that for another time. Today, I'm here to check on Sasuke-kun." The snake-like man turned his yellow eyes on Sasuke once again.

"What do you want with me?" Sasuke hissed. "I have cut off all ties with the likes of you." Right then and there, Kabuto received one of the strongest and most hate-filled glares ever given by a human being. Not that it mattered much; Kabuto obviously wasn't easily intimidated.

"Oh," Kabuto chuckled darkly, "you know, just to see how you're doing on that… _assignment _Madara gave you." Oh, how he loved seeing the shocked looks on Sasuke's teammates faces. The look of _betrayal _in their eyes once again. The heavy silence surrounding them was just as marvelous.

"What do you mean, _assignment_?" Naruto whispered. His eyes were wide, but blank. They didn't want to believe that it might be true, that Sasuke whom he'd fought so hard for might have actually betrayed them once again. It couldn't possibly… right?

"You see, the only reason Sasuke-kun was at that warehouse that fateful day a little over a year ago…" Kabuto started, only to have Sasuke interrupt him.

"Shut up." Said Sasuke, with true force behind it that would have silenced any lesser man.

"…Was because Madara-" Kabuto continued.

"Shut up!" Sasuke shouted now. He lunged for Kabuto in a fit of rage, but the snake-like medic nin was too fast.

"-ORDRED him to." Kabuto paused so that his words could have the desired effect of twisting Sakura and Naruto's faces into that of shock, betrayal, and utter disbelief. "It was all Madara's plan. Sasuke-kun _let _you capture him, Naruto. You didn't actually think that you might be stronger than him, did you? It was all a hoax so that once Sasuke-kun was in Konoha he could _destroy _it from the inside out. That was the plan we'd agreed upon. I came here to see what was taking the Great Uchiha heir so long." Kabuto dodged another strike by Sasuke.

"Y-you mean Sasuke's…" Naruto's voice trembled with his distress. It couldn't be true, it _couldn't._

"Still taking orders from Madara Uchiha? Yes."

Right then and there it felt like Naruto's world was crashing down around him. Had everything really been a lie? All of it? The friendship, the words of comfort, the stability, the companionship, the intimacy, the feeling that Sasuke actually might _care _about him; had it all been a _lie?_

"I'm not and you know it. I haven't contacted you once since I entered Konoha, and now you see why. I may still harbor hatred for this place, but all the same I call it home. I am no longer you or Madara's puppet. I see the truth now, and the only thing I regret is that I didn't kill either of you sooner." Sasuke spat. He conjured a Chidori and launched it at Kabuto, but it missed the snake-man by mere millimeters.

Naruto didn't know what to believe. He was so confused. He didn't want to believe that everything was a lie, because it had all felt so real, but if he was honest with himself, did he really trust Sasuke enough to believe him? He had seen those half-crazed eyes before, filled with bloodlust and hate and nothing else. They'd been so fixated on that thankless task of killing so many people, including those of Konoha. Could he really put it past Sasuke to deceive him all this time, just so he could accomplish that goal? He had gone off with Orochimaru in the first place after all… retrieving Sasuke had seemed too good to be true…

In the midst of trying to kill Kabuto, Sasuke took a glance at his teammates. Naruto seemed utterly confused, with wide eyes and rigid posture. Sakura, not that he cared in the slightest, was much the same, the only difference was that she didn't seem as sad as Naruto; the blonde's blue eyes were swimming with so many different melancholy emotions it was no wonder he was confused. Sasuke didn't blame him; he would be feeling pretty betrayed and baffled as well if he were in Naruto's position. He realized he'd never really done anything to instill much trust in himself other than just staying in the village. Would that be enough for Naruto? Would it be enough for Naruto to believe him? He could only hope, but if it wasn't then he'd just have to fix that. Simple as that.

While fighting Kabuto, and still internally cursing himself for not bringing his katana (he'd never make that mistake again), Sasuke thought back to the time when he really had been under this man's and his ancestors influence. It had been such a tumultuous and complicated time in his life that he'd really felt that had been the only way. Now, he saw how wrong he'd been. It had only been on the day that Naruto had "finally captured" him that he'd begun to see things for what they really were.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Every time we lie awake<br>After every hit we take  
>Every feeling that I get<br>But I haven't missed you yet**_

_**Every roommate kept awake  
>By every sigh and scream we make<br>All the feelings that I get  
>But I still don't miss you yet<strong>_

**_Only when I stop to think about it_**

_I_**_ hate everything about you_**  
><strong><em>Why do I love you?<em>**  
><strong><em>I hate everything about you<em>**  
><strong><em>Why do I love you?<em>**

_**Every time we lie awake  
>After every hit we take<br>Every feeling that I get  
>But I haven't missed you yet<strong>_

**_Only when I stop to think about it_**

**_I hate everything about you_**  
><strong><em>Why do I love you?<em>**  
><strong><em>I hate everything about you<em>**  
><strong><em>Why do I love you?<em>**

_**Only when I stop to think about you,  
>I know<br>Only when you stop to think about me,  
>do you know?<strong>_

**_I hate everything about you_**  
><strong><em>Why do I love you?<em>**  
><strong><em>You hate everything about me<em>**  
><strong><em>Why do you love me?<em>**

_**I hate  
>You hate<br>I hate  
>You love me<strong>_

_**I hate everything about you  
>Why do I love you?<strong>_

**-"I Hate Everything About You" by Three Days Grace**

* * *

><p>"<em>Sasuke," a deep and commanding voice boomed within the small room, "I believe now is the time we have all been waiting for. It is time to destroy Konoha once and for all, and I know just the way to do it." Madara Uchiha declared.<em>

"_What is it?" Sasuke answered with no inflection in his voice whatsoever. He knew the reason the Akatsuki and Madara went into hiding instead of inciting a war like they had originally planned had all been for a moment like this; when Konoha's guard was down. Destroying them would be like taking candy from a baby if they were caught completely unsuspected. _

"_You will enter Konoha under the impression that Uzumaki Naruto has finally captured his long lost best friend. You will wait until you are confident that you have their trust and they suspect nothing, and then you will strike. You will send us a signal when you are ready, and then together we will destroy Konoha from the inside out." A malicious smile made its way onto the oldest Uchiha's face._

"_When will the plan commence?" Sasuke replied._

"_Two days from now we will have you spotted in an abandoned factory not too far from here. We will make sure Konoha gets word of this and they will surely send a retrieval cell that includes Uzumaki Naruto as soon as they do. You will allow Uzumaki Naruto to capture you and commence the plan of gaining their trust."_

_Sasuke merely nodded his approval before adding "Is that all?" Even if they were both Uchiha's, Madara never failed to unnerve him. He didn't trust the man at all, but he was a useful ally to have around. He was sure the feeling was mutual._

"_Yes." Madara waved his hand dismissively and Sasuke quickly walked away. He hated showing his back to the man, but he was confident he could take him if he had to. For now, he had to prepare for his mission. His goal was finally going to be accomplished, and the thought almost made him smile like Madara._

* * *

><p><em>How had things turned out like this? Almost nothing was going according to plan, and the mission had barely even started. Sasuke lay on the floor of the abandoned warehouse he was supposed to, as the plan stated, but other than that nothing was going right. He was covered in blood. Not his blood, of course. He wasn't weak. But neither were the people he'd just killed. <em>

_Why? Why had he done it? There had been no reason for it, and yet he did it anyway. Why? Why? He could ask himself that question, but the answer wouldn't make itself known clearly. Perhaps he really didn't want to know. _

_The only thing he did know is that he'd just… snapped. Snapped and killed his teammates; Taka. Juugo, Karin, and even Suigetsu. All dead by his hand. He and his katana were both bathed in their blood right now. Why? He wasn't quite sure, but he suspected it had been the casual words uttered by his teammates that had set him off. They had been talking… about one Uzumaki Naruto. They knew how much he hated talking about his time in Konoha, and especially about the blonde shinobi. But when they'd heard about the plan to destroy Konoha from the inside out, they couldn't help but comment on it._

"_Oh, my Sasuke-kun is going to be so valiant when he destroys that hateful city!" Karin had said._

"_Yes, we should complete our mission with as few obstacles as possible." Juugo had said._

"_Cool~! We're going to get to kill stuff! I can't wait! Hey Sasuke, you wouldn't mind if I killed that one guy for you, would ya? What was his name, Uzumaki? I've heard that he's pretty strong, and I want to test him out. I bet it would be a lot of fun to kill him!" Suigetsu had said. _

"_Konoha's finally going down! They're all going to die!" Suigetsu and Karin had chanted together. They'd laughed and sang about the destruction of the village. "Our dream will become a reality! They're all going to get what they deserve! They're all going to die! They're all going to die because we're going to kill them! They're going to die, die, die, die, die, die!"_

_They're all going to die. Those words kept playing in Sasuke's head. Die. Die, like his family. Was that what the ones who'd ordered the annihilation of the Uchiha clan had said? Had they uttered the same words with such glee? The thought made his blood boil until he couldn't take it anymore._

_He snapped._

"_You want them to die? You want death? I'll show you death! Maybe now you won't speak so lightly of it." He said it softly, but he knew they could feel the malice in his words. And feel it they did. They definitely felt it when his Kusanagi ripped into them. When it sliced, diced, and hacked them into pieces. Sure, he'd had some trouble with Suigetsu and his sword, and Juugo's strength. But they weren't a real problem. He still chopped them up in the end. _

_And now, lying in the abandoned factory still covered in their blood, even if he didn't know the reason he'd snapped, he found he didn't regret it. Madara had been livid with him for killing such useful pawns, but Sasuke was still too useful to get rid of. He'd arrived a whole two days late to the warehouse because of Madara's anger, without even the chance to change his clothes. He didn't feel regret, he didn't feel bad, he didn't feel shame or sadness, or even guilt. He only felt empty. Utterly empty. _

_It almost surprised him how guilt-free he was. Almost. He was quick to realize that he'd always known somewhere inside him that he'd been capable of such a thing. He had attempted to kill his "best friend" multiple times, after all. So killing teammates he had no emotional connection to at all wasn't a stretch. The only thing he hadn't been expecting was to feel so… empty. Was hate truly the only thing left to feel? When he'd expressed that hate, so much that it mentally drained him, was there nothing left inside him? Was that why he felt so emotionless right now? Was hate all there was to his world? _

_With a slight start, Sasuke realized that once again he was all alone because he had lost his second team due to his own self-destructive impulses._

* * *

><p><em>This was it. Naruto was right in front of him; they were engaged in battle. He purposely reacted just a little bit slower so that Naruto could "capture" him. But really, Naruto had gotten faster. Naruto was truly Sasuke's rival, the closest to his equal. Seeing him again, he was astounded that he actually felt something. For the first time since he'd killed the rest of Taka, he didn't feel like there was something missing inside of him. It almost felt like he'd missed this, fighting with Naruto like old times, since the object wasn't to kill Naruto. <em>

_In truth, Naruto's arrival really had interrupted his nap, so it wasn't hard at all to engage in battle with him. It's exactly what he would have done if they were still on the same team, like they'd been years ago. A lot of their fights started like that, with Naruto doing one tiny thing to annoy Sasuke. _

_Nostalgia must have really distracted Sasuke, because he honestly hadn't notice the hole in the ground as he dodged Naruto's Rasengan. He started to charge up his chakra for a Chidori, but his foot went directly into the hole when he dodged. He felt himself falling, and was just about to balance himself, when to his surprise Naruto grabbed his wrist to stop his descent. That wasn't all Naruto did though. To Sasuke's pure and utter astonishment, Naruto pulled him up until they were practically at eye-level and grabbed the sides of his face into a kiss._

_At first, Sasuke's mind went completely blank, he was so shocked. Not in a million years would he have expected something like this. But that was exactly why it was so smart. Even if he had been fighting for real, it would have caught him off guard. Naruto had gotten a little smarter since their last meeting. And then, for some reason Sasuke couldn't fathom at that time, his body began reacting to Naruto's kiss. He kissed the blonde shinobi back. He'd decided not to fight it too much after an initial struggle, since Naruto was supposed to capture him, but that didn't mean he needed to kiss him… but this "kiss" of theirs was so much different than the rest they'd accidentally shared. Sasuke's body started to feel hot. It was, at first, a nice warm, tingly feeling. But then it became TOO hot. _

'_What the hell?! Is he trying to stop the flow of my chakra? That must be why he's held it for so long! Shit, I can't believe I fell for it! Damn, I can't believe I did that! But he seems so much faster than last time… When is he going to let it go? It's getting hot… TOO hot… It's like I'm burning…'_

_The burning continued. 'Damn usuratonkachi! Is he actually trying to kill me?' Sasuke took one more look at Naruto's face. He looked alarmed now, since Sasuke was beginning to go limp. As if he didn't want Sasuke to be hurt. 'No, he hasn't changed at all.' Sasuke's last thought before he blacked out had a bit of a smirk to it._

* * *

><p>Shaking his head for getting distracted, Sasuke conjured a Chidori and lunged at Kabuto again. This time, it finally grazed the snake nin. A second later though, Sasuke wasn't celebrating when a kunai that seemingly came out of nowhere sliced the side of his stomach. He ignored the pain and the warm wetness seeping into his black clothes and attacked Kabuto again, this time with his fireball jutsu.<p>

"This is getting boring," Kabuto commented as he dodged yet again. "But fire _is _a good idea, Sasuke-kun. I think I'll use it." Kabuto leapt back several yards and created fire out of thin air that quickly spread throughout the small clearing. He created a few more fireballs that he aimed at the former Cell Seven, which spread as well. "I'll leave you guys with a parting gift. And Sasuke-kun, I will be sure to tell Madara that you wish to no longer associate him. I can't wait to see what he'll do." Kabuto smirked, and he was gone.

"Tch," Sasuke ground out through clenched teeth. He turned to his fellow shinobi to see how they were doing. Naruto looked pretty much the same as before, just less shell-shocked. It was obvious to Sasuke that he still didn't know that to believe. Sakura looked… angry, actually. She must have believed what Kabuto said to some extent.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted. "I still don't know what to believe either, but I do know that you're not a liar. I _want _to believe that the humanity I've seen in you recently is real. So that's why I'm going to go get help, and not tell the Hokage about this. But if it turns out what that monster said is true, then I _swear _I will beat your pretty face into a pulp." She put up her fist threateningly for effect before running off. They most definitely were going to need help since the fire was rapidly spreading. In just a minute or so it would be reaching the more populated areas. A good portion of the villagers could probably see the blaze by now. And neither Sasuke nor Naruto were water jutsu users.

Sasuke turned to Naruto, a plan already formulating in his head on how to put out the fire. "Naruto, since neither of use water-based jutsus, we're going to have to try to put this out by fanning it out. You know some wind jutsus, right?"

Naruto looked down at his feet, his bangs covering his eyes. He didn't seem to be paying attention to the flames around them at all. That was a problem, because they really should get of here any second now. The flames were coming a little too close for comfort. But Naruto was still frozen. It occurred to Sasuke that Naruto really must have believed Kabuto, at least somewhat. Enough to put doubts in Naruto's mind about working with him.

"Naruto, we don't have time for this. I know you may not trust me right now, but we need to get out of here and deal with this fire. I don't really give a damn about what happens to this village, but I know you do. You don't want it burned down to the ground, do you?"

It took Naruto a few second, but eventually he nodded his head. He still didn't meet Sasuke's eyes though, which annoyed the raven more than he would have thought. Naruto and Sasuke left the clearing as quickly as possible while trying not to get burnt by the flames.

It took more than a couple hours, but the fire was put out through a combination of fanning and water jutsus. Almost the whole district the fire occurred in was affected, with several buildings burned down, and a small portion of the one next to it. Other than that, there was no other permanent damage and no injuries or loss of life.

When their help was no longer needed, Sasuke sighed and turned to head home. They were in an area that was heavily burnt; practically ashes. He didn't wish to see that scenery anymore. When he didn't hear footsteps behind him, he paused and turned around to look at Naruto. He was looking at Sasuke without meeting his eyes. As if it was too painful.

"Naruto, let's go home. We're no longer needed." Sasuke stated.

"A part of Konoha was burnt to the ground, Sasuke." Naruto said, irritated.

"Whatever. I just want to go home." Sasuke said flatly and turned around again, intent on going home with or without Naruto.

"Whatever? Konoha was burning, and you just say _whatever? _Is that all you have to say? Hell, I bet you WANTED to see it burn, right? Did it give you some kind of sick satisfaction? Don't you care about the village? Don't you care about anything other than yourself? It was all a lie, wasn't it? Everything you did, everything you said to me. You faked it all, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?" Naruto screamed. He was letting out all his anger, frustration, and insecurity all at once. He was just so confused, his mind a complete jumble right now. He needed to let it all out somehow, and confronting Sasuke was the easiest and most direct way.

"Yes, as a matter of fact it did. This city _deserves _it." Sasuke turned around and spat back. He was livid now. Deep down, he hadn't thought Naruto would say things like that.

"Oh, it does? After all it did for you? After it took care of you after your clan's death, and after it welcomed you back with open arms even thought you'd been a nukenin?"

"Don't bring my family into this!" Now Sasuke was shouting. "This village was the REASON they were killed! I will NEVER forgive it for that."

" 'Oh, look at me, I'm poor little Uchiha Sasuke and my family died tragically, and now I have to avenge them because I just can't accept it'" Naruto mocked. "People die Sasuke! We both know that better than most people. Just get over it! They're not coming back!"

Sasuke growled and mindlessly lunged at Naruto. He landed a powerful punch to Naruto's right cheek, knocking the blonde down. But Naruto got up quickly and launched a punch of his own. Even injured, Sasuke wouldn't admit defeat and continued the battle. After that they started using their jutsu for maximum impact.

"Has everything been a lie from the beginning, Sasuke? Even when we were first on Cell Seven, were you faking it all? Did you hate us even back then?" Naruto shouted in the midst of their battle. His eyes were red slits, the fox's eyes, and his nails were sharp.

"I HATED you! Everything about you! I wanted to kill you so many times, without even knowing why." To emphasize his point, Sasuke aimed a Chidori at Naruto's chest. For the first time, Naruto was able to dodge it.

"I CARED ABOUT YOU! You were my friend! My best friend! Even now, after finding out you were working for Madara…"

"I told you, I'm not working for him anymore." Sasuke interrupted.

"How can I know that? How can I know that you don't still want to kill everyone in this village? How do I know that you don't still want to kill me?" Naruto's eyes were wide and watery with unshed tears that he was trying so hard to keep from falling. Seeing that, Sasuke calmed down a little. He stopped his attack, and Naruto did the same.

"Naruto, shut up."

"You know what, I don't even care anymore. The real reason why you're staying with me is to kill me, I bet." Naruto said bitterly.

"I said shut up Naruto!" Sasuke raised his voice, growing angry again.

"After I tried so hard to get you back… But even that wasn't real." Naruto continued, ignoring Sasuke.

"NARUTO, SHUT UP."

"Why don't you just get it over with? That's what you want, isn't it? Just kill m-"

Naruto was interrupted by Sasuke roughly grabbing him closer and claiming his lips, effectively shutting him up.

* * *

><p><strong>I hate to leave you with a short chapter and that cliffhanger there, but… that's the way it is. And it's going to be awhile until I update again, what with starting college and all. So if you want me to spend my free time writing this, please review! The more reviews I get, the more time I'll spend! Please, please let me know what you think. Was my crazy Sasuke a little too crazy? I wanna know your thoughts! :D I think I Hate Everything About You is the absolute PERFECT song for Sasuke and Naruto, even in the anime and manga. It suits them so well. I listened to it on repeat for a while :D<strong>


	17. Confessions?

**Wow! Finally, a new chapter, huh? Yes, I was gone long. My will to write was pretty much nonexistent these past three months or so. But for the most part, it's back. Hesitantly so. Now, just to warn you, this chapter is kinda mushy. Very little action. BUT that will change. Just think of it as lull, the calm before the storm, so to speak. **

**DISCLAIMER: Damn. No matter how much I wish it, I still don't own Naruto… Maybe Santa will bring me the rights if I ask really nicely… Yeah, I'll try that…**

**Well, here goes the chapter I think you've all been waiting for! I just hope it lives up to your expectations…**

* * *

><p>"Mmph!" Naruto made an involuntary noise as suddenly, before he could even finish his sentence, he was cut off by Sasuke smooshing their lips together rather forcefully. At first, he didn't even realize what was going on, it happened so fast. One second Sasuke was a few feet away, with his arms crossed and not making any movement. There hadn't been a single hint on his face that gave away what he was about to do. The next second, Sasuke's lips were on his.<p>

As Sasuke moved his lips against his, Naruto just stood there, frozen, with his eyes practically bugging out of their sockets. He was in shock. This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't. Why in the hell would Sasuke suddenly start kissing him like this? Then, finally, Sasuke parted his lips from Naruto's for some much needed oxygen.

"SASUKE! WHAT THE HE-" Naruto shouted as soon as he got his air back, but was once again interrupted by Sasuke bringing his lips down on Naruto's. Just as the last time, Naruto was too much in shock to do anything other than wonder what the fuck was happening and whether if this meant that the world was going to end, because surely the apocalypse was coming and/or hell had frozen over. He tried not to focus on his rapidly beating heart.

When Sasuke came up for air again, there was a few panting breaths from both of them, and just as Naruto opened his mouth to scream at Sasuke some more, Sasuke crushed their lips together again. Naruto mentally cursed himself for not seeing Sasuke move closer a _third _time. But the third time seemed to be the charm, and his body seemed to move by itself as Naruto's lips slowly began to respond and move in time with Sasuke's.

Sasuke pulled away again, but with this time barely left any space between their lips. And this time, Naruto was able to move his hand fast enough to block Sasuke's from reaching his mouth, resulting in Sasuke kissing his palm instead.

"You gotta stop doing that!" Naruto shouted, panting slightly from the repeated lack of oxygen. He pushed Sasuke away from him, in fear of what the raven might do again if they stayed in such close proximity.

"You didn't seem to mind it much that last kiss." Sasuke commented, but kept the distance between them.

"SHUT UP. What the _fuck _do you think you're doing? Why in the fucking world would you kiss me?" Naruto kept his tone gruff, trying to make up for his assuredly pink cheeks.

"I don't know."

"… What?"

"I don't know why I did it."

"Excuse me? What the fuck does that mean?"

"It means that I… like you… or have affection for you… or something silly like that… I guess. But I don't know why."

Naruto groaned and let his head fall against a nearby tree. _He has to be messing with me. This has to be some kind of sick joke. Though I can't ever imagine Sasuke joking at all, least of all something like this… unless… he found out about my secret? That I might, just might, care about Sasuke as more than a friend? _Naruto gulped and took some deep breaths; there was simply no way Sasuke could have found out. He'd been so good at concealing it and burying it deep down inside himself, _he _didn't even remember what his true feelings were most of the time. So it couldn't be a joke… right? Though he was still hesitant to believe that Sasuke was being honest with him and expressing his feelings for once, Naruto still couldn't stop the fluttering in his stomach, as if there were butterflies or something in there. Though he didn't want to put a name to it, because that would make it so much stronger when he knew what it was, it was called hope.

Sasuke, however, knew exactly what Naruto was feeling by observing him as he'd done so many times before, and felt free to point it out. "Well, looks like Uzumaki Naruto, the Great Village Hero, is actually _in love _with the Treacherous Rouge Last Uchiha, and he's hoping he loves him back." Sasuke's signature smirk was on full-display and to the max.

"WHA! LOVE? YOU? THERE'S NO EFFING WAY THAT'D EVER HAPPEN, YOU BASTARD!" Naruto shouted, but his tomato-red face told Sasuke all he needed to know. Not that he needed the extra clarification; once he'd seen the look in Naruto's eyes after they kissed and he kinda-sorta confessed he could already tell. Naruto was in love with him. Everything made sense now. The way Naruto kept searching for him. The way Naruto stood up for him, and refused to believe that the "old Sasuke" was gone. The way Naruto forgave him for everything, even for trying to kill him. The way Naruto kept trying to get close to him, and break down every single one of his previously impenetrable walls. It was all because that blonde, loud-mouth idiot loved him.

Why, Sasuke didn't know that either. He couldn't fathom anyone ever _honestly, truly, purely, _ever loving him. There had so many girls claiming to love him, especially Sakura who had come closest to really being in love with him, but they were all kidding themselves. They didn't love him. They loved the _idea _of him. Of everything he had to offer. But not who he really was, inside. If you got to know him, you'd find a sullen, rude, self-absorbed bastard, as Naruto always liked to point out. Sasuke knew it was all true, which is why he just couldn't comprehend why anyone, least of all Naruto, would ever love him. Truly love him, from the bottom of their heart.

He was deplorable. A traitor. Arrogant. Cold. Tainted by blood. There were so many things wrong with him, so many problems and issues, that it just didn't make sense that anyone could ever look past them and say they loved him anyway. And Sasuke hated things that didn't make sense, which explained why he'd always hated Naruto, who never made sense to him. At least, until now. Now, he felt like he was finally starting to understand that dobe for the first time. Everything that he'd ever done was done out of some kind of love.

It was all so clear now. Like a fog had been lifted from his vision. It was liberating and terrifying at the same time. Everything Sasuke had ever known was being challenged at this moment, all because of some dobe blushing. It was almost maddening. Sasuke's first instinct was to lash out and say that he had, in fact, just been playing a very cruel joke on Naruto to manipulate his feelings and make him suffer.

But no, that wasn't really what was going on at all. His feelings for Naruto were surprisingly true. He hadn't known for sure until this moment; he hadn't realized the full extent of his softening at the hands of Konoha until the exact second Naruto had looked up at him with hidden hope in his eyes. And underneath that, love. Right up until then, he hadn't known if the reason he'd had the sudden urge to kiss Naruto was purely physical. But now he knew they were honest feelings. He might not know if he loved Naruto as much as Naruto loved him, but he did know for sure that he did love Naruto. And it was because of that love that he would not sully it and deny it and lie. It was the least he could do for Naruto, a sort of thank-you for loving him unconditionally. At least, he thought so. Naruto hadn't actually said the words; though Sasuke was confident he could read Naruto as well as any book.

It was time to put aside his plentiful pride, just a little bit. Just for Naruto. It didn't mean he would do a total 180 and become a talkative, happy, bright color-wearing moron, but it would be just enough to let Naruto know he was serious.

"Stupid dobe," Sasuke smirked as he pulled Naruto into a tight hug. The blonde struggled against him, trying to push him away and punching his back, but Sasuke of course didn't let him. After about a minute of protesting, Naruto relaxed and let his arms fall limp beside him.

"Why?" Naruto whispered. "Why are you still here if you were working for Madara? Why did you kiss me? Why did you say all those things? I want answers." Sasuke could tell Naruto was trying to make his voice demanding, but in that instant it just sounded like pleading. That's how desperate Naruto was to know if Sasuke had meant anything he'd ever said.

"You basically answered your own questions, dobe. I _worked _for Madara, as in I don't work for him anymore. I gave all that up. Guess I just can't make up my mind," Sasuke said bitterly. "But it's all, unfortunately, because of you. Some blonde, moronic, dumbass idiot with a heart of gold forced me to challenge everything I've ever known because he just wouldn't let me be. Wherever I'd go, he'd follow. And I can't thank him enough for that."

Sasuke felt Naruto start to tremble at those words. He could also sense a small patch of wetness on his shoulder from Naruto's tears. But he didn't care. A small, tiny, infinitesimal part of him felt like crying too.

Naruto leaned even further into Sasuke and finally hugged him back. Sasuke didn't smirk, but he did sigh contently.

* * *

><p>Things got back to normal pretty quickly around Konoha. There quite a few repairs to be made in that particular part of the town that caught fire, but they were made quickly due to all the skilled ninja on duty that pitched in. Naruto himself was a big help. Sasuke was, what else, dragged along with him and thus forced to help make repairs as well. He scowled the whole time, while Naruto whistled while he worked and chatted away.<p>

Things were back to normal between Sasuke and Naruto too. After they had walked home that night, silently, they hadn't said a single word about it. Both acted as if it had never happened. They weren't trying to deny anything; it was just that neither felt the _need _to talk about it. For something profound as what they'd shared in clearing, words weren't necessary. They were closer now, and had come to an understanding with each other.

Other villagers, however, had noticed a change between Sasuke and Naruto. Before, when they were together in close proximity, there would always be a kind of tension between them. It depended on who you asked, but most villagers thought Sasuke and Naruto were either going to rip each other to shreds or rip each other's clothes off. But now, that strange, thick tension was gone. It was as if it had never been there. Everyone that had been in the presence of Naruto and Sasuke at the same time noticed it. The relationship between the two had changed; shifted in some unseeable way. Some smirked knowingly when they saw the two for the first time after Kabuto's attack, others just gaped and had no idea what to think. But thankfully, not a single one of them had the guts to say anything about it in front of Uchiha Sasuke, who would surely tear them to shreds if they mentioned one word about him being in a relationship with Naruto and his subsequent "softening".

Even Inuzuka Kiba had the brains to know to keep quiet when he saw them together at the grocery market.

It's not like there was anything specific that was different about the way the two acted around each other. They were just picking out some fruit (well, Sasuke was; Naruto just stood there looking bored) at a stand, and Kiba just happened to look in that direction while getting more dog food for Akamaru. He saw the two, and he thought about going over there and saying hello, to Naruto at least since Sasuke still scared him a little.

But then Naruto, growing impatient, grabbed Sasuke's wrist, as if to hurry him along. Sasuke said something Kiba couldn't hear, and then he heard Naruto's loud shout of "teme!" The blond stalked off. Kiba was just about to go after him, curious as to what exactly happened, but then he saw Sasuke's face. It was alive in a way he had never seen before. He had a slight smirk on his face, but it was more of a tiny smile. His eyes held amusement as he watched Naruto leave. Sasuke quickly followed after Naruto, and when he forced the orange-clad ninja to look at him, even someone was dense as Kiba could clearly see what those eyes held.

It was love, pure and simple.

_Hmmmm…. _Thought Kiba as he grabbed what he needed from the shelf. He smirked to himself as he left the store, content with the knowledge that he had been right all along. He was very pleased with himself for finally guessing something correctly.

* * *

><p>Naruto didn't feel like getting up. He was perfectly happy to just lie in bed, reveling in the warmth of the blankets and the body lying next to him. There were currently no dangerous missions assigned to him, no one after him, and even no errands to run. Just the routine training and sparring he and Sasuke always did. A lazy day.<p>

Not quite ready to start the day though, he just kept his eyes closed and relaxed. He knew this happiness wouldn't last. He could it feel deep inside, down to his very bones. Something would happen to take his happiness away. It always did. Already he could feel the pain inside him, growing, angry at him for being too happy. But for now, he was content to just enjoy this rare moment of peace while it lasted. He snuggled in Sasuke further, as if holding onto him tighter would keep every bad thing away. He wished.

About half an hour later, Sasuke stirred and woke up. He blinked a couple times, and when his eyes were adjusted to the light, he noticed Naruto staring at him. Their faces were so close together on the small bed, he could feel Naruto's breath mixing with his own. He had no idea what possessed him to do so, but without consciously thinking about it Sasuke bridged the gap between their faces and brought his lips to Naruto's.

It was little more than brushing their lips together, just a peck really, but Naruto hadn't been expecting it and started to freak out. Naruto jerked away from Sasuke, and in doing so promptly fell off the side of the bed and flat on his ass.

"AH! OUCH!" Naruto rubbed his sore bottom. "What the fuck, teme? W-Why did you d-do… THAT?" Naruto's face grew red, as Sasuke had come to expect whenever the subject of kissing came up. Not that he minded. It was quite fun to watch an embarrassed Naruto. That was why he decided that from now on, he would make it his mission in life to embarrass Naruto as much as possible. Provided it didn't embarrass himself as well.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I felt like it, idiot. No reason to freak out. " He shrugged nonchalantly.

As expected, Naruto's face went redder. "Y-You can't just decide something like that! And it's first thing in the morning! I wasn't expecting to be attacked like that."

"You are a ninja. You should be ready for anything. It's not my fault you let your guard down and couldn't defend yourself properly."

"But it was so sudden! Why would you want to…? I-I mean I don't know if I-if I'm… ready." Naruto started out talking really fast, stuttering as a result, but when he got to that last word he mumbled it. He wasn't sure if he wanted Sasuke to hear it or not.

Regardless of what Naruto wanted, Sasuke heard it loud and clear. "Not ready? That's stupid. We may not have said the actual words, but we basically confessed to each other. That was over two weeks ago. I have no idea why, but for some strange reason I cannot comprehend, I like you. I am attracted to you. And I can tell that you like me, and are attracted to me as well. You may not want to say it out loud, but it's true. I like you. You like me. There are no obstacles. Do the math."

While listening to Sasuke, Naruto's face turned as red as the tomatoes Sasuke liked so much. He gulped, and let the words sink in. Yeah, he liked Sasuke. In THAT way. And Sasuke had made it clear that he liked Naruto in the same way. It should be easy. But…

Deciding that it was a waste of time to deny anything, Naruto had no choice but to give the truth. So he would give it. _Here goes nothing…_

"I-I like you," Naruto whispered, "but I've never done anything like this before. I don't know how." He waited for Sasuke to snicker and laugh at him for being so inexperienced, but he was instead met with absolute silence. He was too afraid to look up from his feet to see Sasuke's expression that would have told him everything he needed to know.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was really only thirty seconds, Sasuke responded. "That's all?"

Naruto gaped. "That's all? That's ALL? It's a big deal to me!"

"Why should it be a big deal?"

"Because I have no idea what the heck I'm doing here! I've never kissed anyone but you! And that's as far as I've gone. Look, it's embarrassing to admit, okay? I know you've done more…"

"I haven't."

"…What?"

"I said, I haven't. I told you that I've never kissed anyone but you either, didn't I? I'm a virgin. I can't believe you're stupid enough to make a big deal out of this."

"SHUT UP! You're such a fucking bastard!" Naruto shouted, face absolutely flaming by now. He could not believe that his morning had ended up like this. There went his happy feeling. It was all Sasuke's fault. As always.

Sasuke sighed, as if he couldn't believe that he had to actually say this out loud. "We're at the same level here, okay? Everything that's new to you is new to me as well. We're experiencing this together. We are in a relationship, aren't we?"

"WHAT?! You-You-You-You…" Naruto stood up and pointed his finger at Sasuke. He didn't think it was possible, but his face felt even hotter than before. He wouldn't be surprised if his whole body was fucking blushing.

Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke looked at Naruto expectantly. "I thought we settled this a couple weeks ago. Are you just that stupid? Or are you saying you don't want to be with me?"

Unable to meet Sasuke's all-knowing black eyes anymore, Naruto looked away. He could tell Sasuke was serious, and what he said next would define their entire relationship. No pressure. He gulped, took a deep breath to try and calm himself so he could what he wanted to clearly, and looked up.

"I'm not saying that."

"Then it's settled. We are a couple, whether you like it or not. Want some breakfast?" After speaking so casually about something so huge, Sasuke gracefully walked into the kitchen, not even sparring Naruto a glance. As if he'd already known what Naruto's answer would be. The bastard probably did.

"What the hell was that? Baka Sasuke," Naruto mumbled to himself. Still, he couldn't help but smile. He felt lighter somehow, now that the decision had been made, even if it was kind of made for him. Sasuke wouldn't have taken now for an answer anway; he could feel it. That didn't bother him as much as it should.

Naruto's stomach growled and he followed Sasuke into the kitchen where he could already hear pots and pans clinking with the sound of breakfast starting.

Sasuke had his back to him, so he didn't see the genuine smile Sasuke had on his face.

* * *

><p><strong>What? After all this time, that's all I got? Yup. I may only have two weeks left in the semester, but they are going to be a LONG two weeks. After that, I promise I will update at least twice while on my Winter Break. Though, on'I do have another fic to write, a Gravitation one, so I will be busy with that as well. If you're into Gravitation, check it out, por favor?<strong>

**:Gulps: Okay, give me the truth. How was the chapter? I was terrified to post it. If I was a nail-biter, I would totally be biting my nails out of nervousness. I know, the characters are even more OOC. Sorry, but it will probably get a little worse. I'll do my best of course, they're not going to be all ga-ga for each other, but be warned. **

**So, review? Please? Pretty please? I don't have cookies this time, but I have amazing French toast. It was heavenly. So… review? Please? :Looks up at you with wide sparkly eyes:**

**NOTE: 100****th**** reviewer will receive a special prize! Sorta!**


	18. Knocking

**Y****o! Happy New Year, my pretties! This new chapter is my present to y'all. Hope ya like it. Really, it's all thanks to the guest reviewer called Sis! Thank you so, so, so much! I am in love with you now. You really should create a profile so that I can love you even more. :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't always own Naruto; but when I do, I don't.**

* * *

><p><em>I settled down a twisted up frown<br>Disguised as a smile, well  
>You would have never known<em>

_I had it all_  
><em>But, not what I wanted<em>  
><em>'cause hope for me was a place uncharted and overgrown<em>

_You'd make your way in_  
><em>I'd resist you just like this<em>

_You can't tell me to feel_  
><em>The truth never set me free<em>  
><em>So, I did it myself<em>

_You can't be too careful anymore_  
><em>When all that is waiting for you<em>  
><em>Won't come any closer<em>  
><em>You've got to reach out a little more<em>  
><em>More<em>  
><em>More<em>  
><em>More, more<em>

_Open your eyes_  
><em>Like I opened mine<em>  
><em>It's only the real world.<em>  
><em>A life you will never know<em>

_Shifting your weight_  
><em>To throw off the pain<em>  
><em>Well you can ignore it<em>  
><em>But only for so long<em>

_You look like I did_  
><em>You resist me just like this<em>

_You can't tell me to heal_  
><em>And it hurts remembering<em>  
><em>How it felt to shut down<em>

_You can't be too careful anymore_  
><em>When all that is waiting for you<em>  
><em>Won't come any closer<em>  
><em>You've got to reach out a little more<em>  
><em>More<em>  
><em>More<em>  
><em>More, more<em>

_The truth never set me free_  
><em>The truth never set me free<em>  
><em>The truth never set me free<em>  
><em>So, I'll do it myself<em>

_You can't be too careful anymore_  
><em>When all that is waiting for you<em>  
><em>Won't come any closer<em>  
><em>You've got to reach out<em>

_Can't be too careful anymore_  
><em>When all that is waiting for you<em>  
><em>Won't come any closer<em>  
><em>You've got to reach out<em>  
><em>More<em>  
><em>More<em>  
><em>More<em>  
><em>More, more<em>

-"Careful" by Paramore

* * *

><p>All of Team Kakashi, old and new, was gathered at the usual hangout, Ichiraku Ramen. Kakashi had sent a messenger bird earlier with a note telling Naruto and Sasuke to meet up with their teammates at the Ramen stand. The bird had loudly and obnoxiously pecked at the window in the wee hours of morning, waking them up until Naruto was forced to open the window and retrieve the message from the bird. Which pissed Sasuke off to no end. Which pissed Naruto off because Sasuke couldn't fall back asleep. Which made Sasuke want to ditch the meeting. Which made Naruto and Sasuke argue. Which meant they ended up getting to the ramen stand late.<p>

They still ended up having to wait over two hours for Kakashi to show up anyway. When Naruto and Sasuke finally ended up at the restaurant, Sakura, Sai, and Captain Yamato where all there, waiting.

"Hey, what's up guys! Long time no see!" Naruto grinned widely and waved at all his teammates.

Sasuke just nodded in their general direction and quickly sat down. Naruto guessed he was still cranky from losing a little sleep. In the time that they'd lived together, Naruto had quickly figured out that Sasuke liked his sleep. A LOT. The kind of like where if he didn't get at least eight hours, there would be hell to pay later. That explained why Sasuke had always been extra pissed off on missions.

Naruto took his seat next to Sasuke and began chatting with Sai, who was on his other side. It had been a while since he'd seen Sai, and he found that he'd missed the strange man that had replaced Sasuke on Team Kakashi.

Sakura and Captain Yamato seemed to be having a nice conversation about something Naruto couldn't really understand, though he'd never admit it. He noticed that Sakura glanced at him out of the corner of her eye a few times, and that made him wonder why the meeting had been arranged. There had to be a purpose to it, and obviously Sakura knew what it was. He really hoped that it didn't have anything to do with him, but the odds didn't look good.

Naruto looked at Sasuke brooding in the corner and rolled his eyes. The teme could be so unsocial. Sasuke rolled his eyes back, which ticked him off a little.

Just as Naruto wanted to scream out of boredom (there was only so much small talk you could do with someone as strange as Sai, and Sakura was still talking to Captain Yamato), Kakashi appeared in a cloud of smoke.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto and Sakura both stood up and pointed a finger at their sensei as they shouted simultaneously.

"Sorry. I had to save a kitten from a tree, you see," Kakashi grinned behind his mask. Everyone else rolled their eyes at Kakashi's lame and obvious lie.

Kakashi sat down and began talking to Yamato. Naruto kept waiting to Kakashi to begin and state why they were all here, because there was no way this could just be a casual get-together with the way Kakashi has summoned him, but he never did. The grey-haired Jounin just kept right on with his conversation about different types of Jutsus. Naruto felt like screaming again, but he really wanted to show everyone how much he'd matured. So he refrained. For now.

Naruto looked at the row of seats and saw the faces of some of the people he cared about most in the world. They were all so precious to him. Sometimes it still amazed him that they cared about him too. There was a time, in his darker moments, that he had doubted whether Cell Number Seven would ever be able to talk and eat ramen just like this ever again. He had fantasized about it, and that image gave him strength to keep going whenever he was facing an obstacle. Seeing them all together like this again, in addition to new faces he cared about just as much, it warmed his heart. He couldn't stop himself from grinning ear to ear and feeling the elation that as long as he had these people, everything would be alright. Not even the intense pain in his stomach could damper his happiness.

When Sai looked at Naruto and saw him grinning, the pale man sighed and said "Come on, Kakashi. I've been here for almost five hours. Just get on with it."

"Now Sai, this is a very delicate matter, and if it's not done in just the right manner you could possibly die-" Kakashi responded, but was interrupted by Sai blurting something out that no one else in their right mind would. At least Sai hadn't changed.

"So, have you two consummated the relationship yet?" Sai asked innocently.

Naruto did a perfect example of a spit-take with his water. Even Sasuke was visibly stunned; dropping his spoon into the bowl loudly.

"SAI!" Sakura shouted reprimandingly. "Don't say things like that! We agreed to go about this slowly!" Sakura punished Sai by, of course, punching him across the face. Her face was red, but nowhere near as red as Naruto's.

"WHA- WH- JU- HOW- WHY-YOU-WH- GAH!" Naruto stuttered, his face flaming. He had no idea what he was trying to say. He was the most embarrassed he had ever been in his life.

"What Sai meant was," Kakashi spoke up, "that we know about you two's relationship, and we wanted to let you know that we approve of it. We're happy for you two," He smiled underneath his mask again. Sakura, Captain Yamato, and even Sai nodded and smiled along with him.

"R-Really? How did you guys find out? We haven't told anyone… not that we had actual plans to tell people," Naruto asked, curious for the answer. He was still incredibly embarrassed, but he wasn't mad at all that they knew. It was a bit of a relief.

Sakura coughed awkwardly. "Well, you see… it wasn't the most well-kept secret. The atmosphere around you two kinda… changed. You seem a lot closer." She didn't look Naruto in the eye as she spoke, but he didn't mind. Naruto didn't think he'd be able to look her in the eye either.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke. The raven was staring back at him. By the way his body language was back to normal again, Naruto could tell that he'd recovered completely. By looking into his eyes, he could see that he didn't have a problem with anyone knowing about their relationship. Not that Naruto ever thought he would. Sasuke was the type of person that would do whatever the hell he wanted, no matter the consequences or what anyone else thought. He practically exuded a "I don't give a fuck" attitude.

Naruto turned to the rest of Team Kakashi. "Thanks guys. It's nice to know nothing's changed." He hoped he wasn't blushing as hard anymore.

Kakashi shrugged. "We knew it was only a matter of time. Me, Yamato, and a couple of other Jounin had bets going of when you guys would seal the deal."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "You're all a bunch of gossips! Like old women!" Damn, his blush was back full force. Again.

"S-sorry Naruto." Captain Yamato said, and he at least had the decency to look ashamed. Naruto nodded to let him know there were no hard feelings.

Silence. Until Sai felt the need to break it. Again.

"So, have you two consummated the relationship yet?" Sai asked again.

"SAI, YOU IDIOT!" Sakura decked Sai a good one, because he obviously hadn't learned his lesson yet. Naruto didn't mind. He felt like punching Sai himself, perhaps with a Rasengan mixed in for good measure.

"Th-That's none of your business." Naruto grumbled out of embarrassment. He'd been wrong. _This _was the most he had ever been embarrassed in his life. He stared down at his lap because there was no way he could look anyone in the face now.

"Come on. We're all friends here," Sai smiled his creepy smile. Sakura raised her fist again and Sai backed away.

To Naruto's surprise, Sasuke spoke for the first time since arriving. The formerly rogue ninja shook his head slowly then said one word. "Unfortunately."

"SASUKE!" Naruto shouted. He covered Sasuke's mouth with his hand while glaring daggers into the pools of black, which still managed to look completely nonchalant. Bastard.

Sasuke pushed Naruto's hand away after a few seconds and shrugged. "What do I care if they know? He wasn't going to leave it alone."

"That doesn't mean you have to say anything! So you choose _now _to finally say something huh? Great. You're a bastard, you know that?" Naruto glared some more, though it was probably less effective than usual due to his blushing.

"Yes."

"I hate you."

"No you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"You could never hate me."

"Teme."

"Dobe."

"Usuratonkachi."

"Asshole."

"Now?" Sasuke said, completely straight-faced.

Naruto tackled Sasuke and they began kicking and punching on the ground. Just like old times.

Sakura managed to pull Naruto back before he could strangle Sasuke. He could see on her face, and the others, that they were trying not to laugh at his and Sasuke's little exchange. If it was possible, his face grew hotter.

Naruto was surprised when Sakura burst out laughing. Normally these kinds of displays pissed her off, but she was laughing as if she'd just heard the funniest joke of all time. When she was done laughing she looked at Naruto, slightly out of breath, and chuckled some more. She noticed everyone staring at her, and explained. "It's just… it's nice to know you guys are still the same idiots you always were. You and Sasuke still can't stand each other, even if you guys are together. It's comforting."

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, he's still the same bastard he's always been. I still hate him. That will never change." Sasuke rolled his eyes and Naruto stuck his tongue out.

Sai turned to Sasuke. "I know I may call him dickless sometimes, but I assure you, he does actually have a dick. I have seen it myself, and it is actually quite a nice size."

This time Naruto had to keep Sasuke from strangling Sai.

He'd been wrong again; _this _was the most embarrassed he had ever been in his life. His face felt like the fucking sun. Even Captain Yamato was a little pink.

But still, as he and Sasuke left an hour later, he couldn't help but think that had been one of the best meals of his life.

* * *

><p>"Ah! That was fun!" Naruto laughed on the way home. He put his hands casually behind his head as they walked.<p>

"For you, maybe." Sasuke muttered.

"Oh come on. It was totally fun! You're just a grumpy pants."

Sasuke snorted. "What are you, four?"

"I know what you are, but what am I?" Naruto retorted.

"I cannot believe I'm with you right now," Sasuke sighed.

They continued on in silence. When they were almost to the house, Naruto started to get antsy and couldn't help but break it. Besides, Sasuke's attitude was annoying him.

"You're not still annoyed at Sai's comments are you?" Naruto questioned.

Sasuke kept on ignoring him.

"You are, aren't you? Look, I think you know by now how weird Sai is. He just didn't know what to say in situations like that. He didn't mean anything by it. We've just taken a few baths together before- hey, don't look at me like that! It wasn't MY idea! It was just when we were on missions. Geez." Naruto was forced to clarify when Sasuke sent him a glare so intense that anyone other than Naruto probably would have run away crying.

"If he says anything like that ever again, I'll kill him," Was all Sasuke said in response. Naruto didn't doubt it one bit. He was definitely going to have to keep on an eye on those two the next time they saw each other.

Naruto was startled when Sasuke abruptly grabbed his hand, holding it tightly. Naruto gulped and immediately blushed- again. Sasuke let go after a few more seconds, feeling Naruto tense up. The raven looked at Naruto questioningly.

"It's just… the physical stuff… it's still weird to me, okay? I thought I was in love with Sakura-chan not too long ago! It was only when I brought you back that I realized I wasn't. Those things are still a little confusing."

Sasuke merely nodded. Naruto noticed that the Uchiha didn't meet his eyes, and that bothered him. When Sasuke began walking again, Naruto hesitated. Then, surprising them both, he grabbed Sasuke's hand with his own.

Naruto looked away. He could feel Sasuke's curious gaze on him, but he kept looking in the opposite direction; his cheeks puffed out in a sign of embarrassment. But he didn't let go of Sasuke's hand.

* * *

><p><strong>One week later<strong>

"Hey Naruto?" Sasuke said softly from across the table.

"Yeah?" Naruto replied absentmindedly. He was busy preparing his first bowl of instant ramen in WEEKS. The three minute wait was absolute torture. He hadn't even stopped to wonder why the teme had finally relented and allowed him to eat it for dinner tonight. He was too excited.

"Kakashi sent me a message yesterday…"

"Uh-huh."

"About a mission coming up really soon…"

"Uh-huh."

"And it said… are you even listening?"

"Uh-huh."

Sasuke rolled his eyes while Naruto continued to stare at the bowl of ramen. Two minutes left. Just two minutes. Which was two minutes too long, if you asked him.

"It said that there's an A-rank mission, and it starts tomorrow morning at sunrise."

"Uh-huh." One minute and thirty seconds left…

"The thing is… it's only for me."

That got Naruto's attention. He finally took his eyes off the bowl, with one minute left to go. "Wait, WHAT?"

"I'm going on a solo mission. I leave when the sun rises tomorrow morning."

"But- But why just you? Why wasn't it meant for the two of us, or us with Kakashi-sensei or something? I mean, WHY WASN'T I INVITED?" Naruto scowled, outraged. He couldn't even concentrate on his ramen now, dammit.

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know. The note said that you could use some more time off from serious missions. Only one person is needed for this mission, so that's why I'm not with another team. It'll be fine."

"Yeah, I know it will," Naruto mumbled. He grumbled something about damn bakakashi's as he picked up his chopsticks and dug into his ramen. "wheb do fu hum hak?"

"Don't speak with your mouth full."

Naruto swallowed. "When do you come back?"

"It will probably just be an overnight mission. The most it would possibly last is two days."

Naruto lifted his chopsticks to his mouth again, but paused before he ate anything. A look of realization came upon his face. "Hey! Is that why you let me have ramen tonight? Were you trying to butter me up or something?"

"Hn. I thought it would make it easier for you. You know, this is going to be the first time you'll be left alone since you came back from that long-term mission…"

"Yeah? So what?" Naruto slurped on his noodles loudly, because he knew it never failed to annoy Sasuke.

"Well, can you handle it? I can always refuse the mission."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Despite what you may think, I am NOT a child. I can take care of myself, thank you very much. I'll be fine. You'll see. I don't need you around me ALL the time." Though Sasuke had offered to refuse the mission if Naruto didn't want to be left alone yet, he could tell by the set of his mouth that he didn't really want to. Sasuke had always loved action, so Naruto knew he welcomed any chance to go on a mission. It was part of why he became a ninja in the first place. He wouldn't take that from Sasuke just because he had issues right now.

Sasuke smirked. "You could have fooled me. On BOTH accounts."

"You are SO lucky I have ramen in front of me right now and that I'm in a good mood, or I _swear _I'd go all Rasengan on your ass."

* * *

><p>So very, very early the next morning Sasuke got up to go on his solo mission. Naruto claimed that he woke up because Sasuke was being too damn loud, but they both knew that wasn't the case. He really just wanted to say a proper goodbye to Sasuke. Not that he'd ever admit it.<p>

A few minutes before the sun was due to come up, Sasuke was about to walk out the door, all packed and ready. Despite his show of confidence, he was actually beginning to feel a little nervous. Not for Sasuke; he knew the teme would be perfectly fine and successful on his mission. Nothing could kill that asshole. He was worried how _he _would fare with Sasuke gone. Sasuke was right; he hadn't been alone since THEN.

"Well, see ya." Sasuke said nonchalantly as he opened up the door and was about to step out. But seeing Sasuke's back, about to walk away… Naruto acted on impulse and grabbed Sasuke, pulling him into a kiss.

The kiss gradually grew deeper. Naruto could even feel Sasuke's tongue moving in his mouth, and he started to move his own, just a little. He was still new to this, and wasn't quite sure how things went. But he had to admit, it felt good. REALLY good. When Sasuke pulled away, he found himself not wanting to stop.

Sasuke smirked at him as he stepped out the door.

Naruto glared back. "Make any wife jokes and I will fucking. Kill. You." Before Sasuke could say anything, and Naruto could tell he was going to, he slammed the door in Sasuke's face.

He swore he heard laughing.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day passed slowly, agonizingly so. Naruto cleaned and organized the whole house just for something to do to keep his mind occupied, but the house was so small that it didn't take long. Even his daily training didn't keep him from feeling restless.<p>

His mind just kept on racing and racing. It went to Sasuke, to trivial things, to Sasuke, to ideas for new moves, to Sasuke and back again. And then it went to darker places, too. Like what had happened while serving Sasuke's 'sentence'. About what was happening to him.

About the pain.

The pain, which was growing so intense. Every second he focused on it, even sparing it a passing thought, it grew more painful. Because Sasuke was gone, he was more vulnerable, he knew. It was taking advantage of his weakness. As the night came Naruto felt more nervous, and the pain grew at a steady rate.

Until finally, as he fell to his knees because the pain grew too intense, he knew he could avoid it no longer. He calmed his breathing, which had grown labored due to the pain, and tried to center himself. He shut everything else out, but the chakra deep inside him.

His seal was burning. Burning so, so bad.

That was why he was now standing before the very one responsible for all the pain and misfortune in his life in the dark, murky waters of his own mind. The one he hated above all else but also relied on above all else. And that made him hate that person all the more.

Naruto put his hands on his hips and stood tall, glaring menacingly. He was getting answers and not taking any crap any longer. This ended _tonight._

"Alright, you goddamn stupid fox. I hear you loud and clear. Why have you been knocking on the seal? What the hell do you want from me?"

* * *

><p><strong>So, there ya guys go. Yup, the mysterious 'pain' that's been mentioned has actually been Kyuubi 'knocking' on the seal! The seal is on Naruto's belly, which is why his stomach has been hurting. I figured I finally owed y'all some answers. Whatcha think? Please review and let me know! I'm begging ya. Look deep, deep down into your very soul and find the strength to push that button down there. Please. Think of the children. <strong>


	19. Red Flowers

**Well… this took a lot longer than expected… I said I'd have it up late January, early February… but I was off by a whole month. Oh well. Blame fucking chemistry. It's going to be the death of me. Anyways, you guys really thought of the children! Thanks for all the reviews last chapter! It made me so excited and bubbly! XD **

**Oh, and would you look at this… the angst flowers are blooming, the angst flowers are blooming! :giggles:**

**BTW, I'm gonna post a oneshot really soon. It's from a series that's not that popular, but I wrote it for a contest, so if ya find my writing at least satisfactory and you happen to read the series, would you please take a look at it? There shall be SHOWER SMEX included!**

* * *

><p><strong>DISCLAIMER: If I owned Naruto, Hinata would have died instead of Neji. Damn you Kishimoto-sensei! Why Neji… Why Neji… :sobs:<strong>

"_What the HELL makes you think I'd ever do something like that, you stupid fox?! OF COURSE NOT. No freaking way." _

"_**If you don't, the consequences might be enough to destroy this very world you claim to love so much. Not that I really care either way." **_

"_I'm not doing it."_

"_**Suit yourself. When everyone you love is dead, don't come crying to me, stupid whelp."**_

"_There has to be another way! Maybe if all the ninja could unite somehow, we could do it… or… something! Just not that!"_

"_**There is no other option that will work. This is the only way you stand a chance."**_

"_I… can't do it… I just can't…"_

"_**Then don't waste my time."**_

Naruto blinked and he was back in his tiny room instead of the dark, dank gutter of his mind staring down a massive demonic fox. He scowled. That hadn't gone as planned… That damn fox was more irritating than ever. But at least he had gotten some answers. Hopefully now the pain of the Kyuubi trying to get his attention would subside. Or else that damn mutt would be hearing from him again.

Too pissed to do anything else, Naruto was ready for the day to end. He threw himself onto his too-small bed in the corner of the room. Maybe sleep would calm him down.

* * *

><p>"<em>MOTHER! FATHER! NO!" A lone boy wailed, tears streaming down his face. <em>

_The monster glanced at him, but paid the boy no mind. It went back to the red, squirming body underneath its large paw. The woman's life was being drained out of her with every passing second, and yet she hadn't appeared to give up yet. How curious. Her eyes were screaming with unbridled defiance and hatred, even as she bled out and clearly had no hope left. _

_Those eyes… were familiar. Brown… a soft, warm sort of brown. Even as they grew dull in death. He'd seen these eyes before, hadn't he?_

_A few feet away lay another red body of a man, already long dead with its throat torn out. _

_The monster watched with glee as the child screamed and shrieked with despair as his mother was torn to pieces before his very eyes. _

_Those same, warm brown eyes._

Naruto shot up in bed, sweat pouring down his face. He gasped for air, trying to calm the erratic beating of his heart. It wasn't working.

"No… No…" He gasped. "Iruka-sensei…"

He knew. He knew those were Iruka-sensei's parents. The ones Iruka felt such pride for, but at the same time a deep sadness. Naruto had watched them die. He'd experienced _killing _them. It felt like he'd done it with his own two hands. He might as well have.

Iruka, the first person in his entire life to show him any kindness. The first person to accept him completely. The first person to believe in him. Even if the very creature that had killed his beloved parents was now housed in Naruto's body.

And Naruto felt like he'd killed them.

How could he ever face Iruka again? The last time he'd seen his old sensei was at the party… And they'd agreed to have lunch together soon, because Iruka said he missed him. Iruka was going to treat him to ramen, just like old times…

"Just like old times, eh?" Naruto muttered to himself. How could things ever be the same again? He blinked away the sudden wetness in eyes and got off the bed. He didn't know _what _to do, but he had to do something, even if it was still the wee hours of the morning. Anything. Anything at all to keep from imagining Iruka's face. Or Iruka's _dead _parents faces.

Having no idea when Sasuke would be coming back, Naruto was at a loss for what to do. He did his usual training routine alone, though he begrudgingly admitted to himself that it wasn't as much fun without Sasuke there. Training was always better when you had someone to train with.

He made himself some lunch, then purely out of boredom decided to do something totally out of character. Naruto cleaned the whole house from top to bottom, even going so far as to dust and polish and organize every little thing. Not that Sasuke had let the house get dirty again, but now it was spotless.

_Don't think about them… just don't think about it… don't picture… don't think about it. Just don't. _Naruto chanted this like a sacred mantra the entire day.

When it got late enough for Naruto to be hungry for dinner, he ran to his secret stash of ramen, hidden in the lining of one of Naruto's old coats in the closet. At least, it was supposed to be. When Naruto felt inside the coat, there was nothing. Not _one _pack of ramen.

"That asshole! That freaking bastard! I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!" Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs. Sasuke must have somehow found his secret stash. And it was his last one! He didn't have any more hidden inside the house.

It was too late to go get some at the store, and after eating at Ichiraku's with other people for so long… he didn't know if he could go back to eating alone again, even if the ramen was the best thing he'd ever tasted. With a heavy heart, Naruto went to kitchen area to start preparing a simple dinner for one.

"Ramen… my ramen…" Naruto muttered to himself as he got to work chopping some vegetables. He still had no idea how that bastard had found it. Was he seriously psychic or something? While thinking of various ways to get back at Sasuke for stealing his ramen, Naruto's mind wandered and he didn't pay attention to what he was doing. He brought down the knife on what was supposed to be a carrot, but turned out to be his wrist.

"Ah! Shit!" He looked down to see…

Blood. Lots of blood; he must have been chopping harder than he thought. It flowed out in a steady stream of red, covering the cutting board and the carrot. A dark, dark, red…

Something inside Naruto snapped. He began to laugh a dark, bitter laugh with no joy in it.

His blood… It was hated, despised, sought after, coveted, and spilled more times than he could count. And it was just _flowing out of him so easy, _like it was nothing. It looked just like anyone else's blood, but yet it was so different. Most people didn't have rocks thrown at them because they had this blood inside them. The blood of the Kyuubi.

Naruto felt the chakra of the Kyuubi begin to work its magic and heal the cut. There was a slight burning sensation for a second, and the blood stopped flowing. But Naruto wanted to see more of that red. That despicable red, that caused so many of his problems but solved so many of them too, so that he didn't know whether to think of it as some kind of twisted gift or a fucked up curse.

He hated it all the more because it wasn't so cut and dry. It was both a gift and a curse, really.

Naruto took the knife and brought it to his wrist again. He watched, mesmerized, as the blood flowed out heavier this time, because he'd been sure to hit the vein. He watched it drip onto the floor, creating patterns and splatters. It hurt, but he _liked_ the pain. It was almost comforting to know that the blood of the Kyuubi was now being purged from his body, like the disease it was. He deserved the pain.

After all, he was a monster.

When the flow stopped and Naruto's skin was brought back together by the chakra of the Kyuubi, Naruto brought the knife to his wrist again. And again. And again. And again. Each and every time the Kyuubi healed him, Naruto _unhealed _himself. He watched the blood flow out of him, fascinated, as it kept up a _drip, drip drip, _with every drop of blood spilled. When it hit the floor, it bloomed, like flowers. He would even call it beautiful. Even as his legs grew wobbly, and he sunk to the floor, he didn't stop. He wanted to see more blood, until it was all out of him. Until every last drop was gone.

That was how Sasuke found him.

* * *

><p>Sasuke was tired. The mission had been long, boring, and routine. He was grateful that nothing had gone wrong, but it would have been nice to see at least a little action. Damn Kakashi for giving him a pointless mission like this. He felt like he'd wasted a huge chunk of his valuable time. The pay for the mission better be good, or he'd be giving Kakashi a good punch to the face.<p>

Sasuke had already stopped by the Hokage's office, given his report, and got his debriefing. Now he was all set to go home. The tiny house was almost in sight, and he couldn't help but give the tiniest smirk. It was almost funny to think that tiny little thing that belonged to Naruto he now considered home. If you'd told him that would happen a couple years ago, he would have killed you.

This morning, he'd woken up disoriented, a first for him while on a mission. He didn't know where he was. He was confused why the bed was so cold and lumpy and why wasn't Naruto there with him? It didn't take him more than a second to get his bearings, but the fact that it happened at all was shocking.

That damn dobe had really messed him up good.

Sasuke walked up the path to the house and put his hand on the doorknob. He went fishing for his key in his pocket, but realized the idiot had left the door unlocked. _Moron._

Sasuke twisted the knob, and the second the door opened the slightest crack, he knew something was horribly wrong. He smelled blood. Lots of it. Naruto's chakra was very, very weak. Almost nonexistent, which was alarming considering he had almost _too _much chakra. Sasuke didn't sense anyone else in the house, but he moved cautiously, just in case they could somehow conceal their chakra.

Sasuke's heart pounded in his chest in the strangest way. He didn't think he'd ever felt it beat this fast before. Was this what it felt like to be afraid? In his mind, he kept picturing what had happened that horrible night when his entire clan was annihilated. His brother, standing before his dead parents covered in their blood. All the dead bodies in the streets. Death everywhere.

All Sasuke could think was, _not again. Please, not again. _

Sasuke opened the door slowly, without making the slightest noise, and braced himself for anything. But nothing, absolutely nothing, could have prepared him for what was to come.

Naruto, in the kitchen, slumped on the floor, covered in his own blood. It wasn't just Naruto covered in blood, but the whole kitchen. There was a big puddle, right beneath where Naruto was barely sitting up. Sasuke ran over without a second's hesitation and concluded that the source of all the blood was Naruto's wrists. The knife next to Naruto's hand didn't leave much doubt over what had happened.

Sasuke tore of a piece of his shirt and wrapped it tightly around Naruto's right wrist, and did the same for the left. The stench of blood was almost overpowering, but he fought the urge to gag. "Naruto. Can you hear me?"

Up until now, Naruto's eyes had been open, but completely vacant. He hadn't acknowledged Sasuke's presence at all until Sasuke spoke his name. "… Sasuke?" Naruto said it hesitantly, as if he were unsure it was really Sasuke.

"It's me, dobe. Hey, don't move." Sasuke tried his best to keep the alarm that threatened to overflow out of his voice, and he was sure he succeeded.

"Hey, it really is you. I was wondering when you'd get back. And don't tell me what to do…" Naruto murmured quietly. He sounded tired, and his voice tapered off until he was almost inaudible.

"Don't you dare fall asleep, you idiot. I'll get help. Just stay awake."

"But I'm sleepy… and cold…" Naruto's head lolled to the side. He closed his eyes slowly.

"I don't care. Naruto? Naruto! I'll buy you all the ramen you want if you stay awake, okay? You have to stay awake."

"Mmm… Really? So… sleepy… oh… isn't the red… pretty, Sasuke?"

And Naruto feel asleep.

OoOoOoO

* * *

><p>"Mmm… Ugh…" Naruto mumbled in his half-asleep state. He squeezed his eyes shut, but the light had already woken him up. With a sigh, he admitted defeat and opened his eyes slowly to see that he was in his bed… with no memory of how he got there.<p>

Naruto tried to sit up, but was hit with a wave of dizziness. He flopped back down onto the pillow. _Whoa… what was that about? What happened to me? _It was then that he heard voices. He knew who they were immediately, though he had no idea why they would be talking to each other here. Tsunade and Sasuke.

"Umm… Sasuke?" Naruto called out quietly. It hadn't been his intention, but his voice came out sounding weak. And despite having just woken up, he felt fatigued. It felt like there was a dull ache, pulsating throughout his body, emanating from his wrists. He looked down and realized they were heavily bandaged; there was even blood on them. _What the hell? Did I get injured somehow? But why don't I remember anything?_

Sasuke was attuned to the sound of Naruto's voice, not to mention he had very good hearing, so he heard Naruto call his name with no problem. He jumped up from his seat in the kitchen area and was in front of Naruto's bed in two seconds flat. He stood there hesitantly, not sure how to interpret Naruto's look of utter confusion.

"Sasuke, what… what the hell's going on? How did I get in bed? Why are my wrists all bandaged up? When did you get back? What..." Naruto spoke louder this time, clearly anxious.

"You don't remember anything?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto shook his head. "Nope. The last thing I remember is, uh… cleaning the house… I think… or… ah, it's all kind of fuzzy now."

"I see. So, you don't remember what happened…" Sasuke bit his lip. He didn't know whether he should inform Naruto what he did to himself right away or not. It caught him off guard that Naruto didn't remember. It didn't help that right he was resisting the urge to punch Naruto's lights out for trying to commit suicide… or whatever he'd been trying to do. Naruto hadn't quite been himself when Sasuke found him.

"Remember WHAT? Will someone please just tell me what's going on?" Naruto shouted.

"You want to know what's going on, brat. Sure. I'll tell you…" Tsunade stepped in the room and stood next to Sasuke. She had a kind smile on his face, so they both knew that whatever happened next was NOT going to be good. Naruto gulped in fear.

"…YOU TRIED TO FUCKING KILL YOURSELF YOU IRRESPONSIBLE, SELFISH, RETARDED IDIOT!" Tsunade screeched and proceeded to punch Naruto in the face at full force. It was enough to send Naruto flying out of the bed and hit the ground several feet away.

"Itai, itai, itai! What the fuck? What do you mean, 'I tried to kill myself'?" Naruto rubbed his swollen cheek and stared up at Tsunade with wide, angry eyes.

"Sasuke came back from his mission to find you in the kitchen, in a puddle of your own blood, with your wrists slit. You were practically delirious until you passed out. Sasuke stayed with you and applied pressure to your wounds while he summoned me. Thanks to Sasuke you didn't bleed out, and the Kyuubi started healing you again, so we decided to just monitor you here. You needed a blood transfusion and you were fine. You just needed to sleep while your chakra went back to normal levels for you."

Tsunade wasn't mad. Not at all. She was _livid. _She was _furious. _This was the most angry Naruto had ever seen her, and it scared him to death. The way she spoke, tightly and quickly, made it all the more chilling. The coldness in her eyes could rival Sasuke's. And he was pretty sure that vein in her forehead was going to pop any second.

"T-There's no way I did that! I'd never… I'd never… Right? It has to be some kind of mistake, right? You can't honestly believe that I'd try to…" Naruto looked away, unable to keep up his protests any longer. He could see in their eyes that they really did believe he'd tried to kill himself. And if they believed it, it must be true. Tsunade and Sasuke would never lie to him about something like that. He even had all the proof he needed on his wrists.

Tsunade's face grew softer. "When I was examining you, there were signs that your chakra, more specifically the Kyuubi's chakra, is running haywire. My guess is it spun out of control and it made your emotions go all out of whack, causing you to do things you normally wouldn't."

_That damn fox. Of course. _Naruto thought bitterly. As if on cue, there was a quick, sharp pain in his abdomen, exactly where the seal was located. The memories that were missing came back slowly but surely. They were murky, not clear at all. He felt strangely detached, like it wasn't actually happening to him. It was more like watching a film than his past.

"Well, anyways, you seem to be perfectly fine now. I've got better things to do than watch over your sorry ass night and day, so I'll be taking my leave now. Sasuke is your official caretaker from here on out." Tsunade shot a pointed look at Sasuke that Naruto didn't miss. He knew what it meant. They'd both be on the lookout for any signs of this behavior repeating itself.

There's no way he'd be getting a mission anytime soon. Shit.

Tsunade surprised Naruto by enveloping him in a hug and whispering "If you ever do this to me again, I swear I'll kill you myself." Naruto hugged her back as tight as he could.

When Tsunade left, though there was less people in the room, the tension seemed to double. Naruto hoped to avoid looking into Sasuke's eyes as long as he could, afraid of what he might find. _Oh god, he's mad isn't he? _

But eventually, as ten, fifteen, twenty, maybe even more minutes passed, Naruto just could not take the silence anymore. His hatred of silence was stronger than the fear of Sasuke's reaction to the apparent suicide attempt. He took a deep breath and went for it.

"So… are you gonna punch me too?"

Sasuke finally looked in his direction. His face was impassive, and Naruto couldn't tell what his eyes held because he was still avoiding looking Sasuke in the eyes. He wasn't ready for that yet. "… I've thought about it."

"It's not like you to hold back." Naruto grinned, but his heart was beating erratically.

"I'm not. I just figured the Hokage did enough damage. That's quite a shiner."

"Thanks. I needed that." Naruto grimaced.

"… Do you remember anything yet?" Sasuke asked in a quieter tone than normal.

Naruto sighed heavily, not wanting to talk about it, but knew he had to. It's not like he was good at lying, so there was no point in trying. "Yeah. Pretty much everything came back a few minutes ago."

"Was it really the Kyuubi that made you do this?"

"What? Of course it was! You heard Baa-chan! She said the stupid thing was making my chakra go all crazy and stuff. You know I'd never do something like this!" Naruto clutched the blanket covering his lower half tighter.

Sasuke's voice grew sharper. "Do I really?"

Naruto's jaw practically dropped. "Yes, you do! What reason would I have for committing suicide? You know, Uzumaki Naruto, the guy who never gives up and all that. I'm happy, you should know that. Or are you blind?"

"You don't seem all that happy to me right now."

"Well, I am." Naruto gritted his teeth.

"Then why can't you look me in the eyes?"

Naruto's knuckled turned white as the clutched the blanket even tighter. It made his wrists throb painfully, but he ignored it. It was a distraction to keep him from looking up at Sasuke. He couldn't look at him now. He was scared of what he'd find in Sasuke's eyes… and what Sasuke would find in his eyes.

Naruto was so focused on not looking up that he didn't realize Sasuke was making his way over to him. He was startled when his chin was suddenly grabbed, forcing him to look into Sasuke's black eyes at last. They were endless, Naruto immediately thought. He'd always imagined them as a vast ocean of liquid onyx, able to swallow you completely in their black depths. Right now, looking into those eyes, he felt like he was drowning.

Sasuke's eyes were cold. Not in a menacing kind of way, but a guarded way. They'd been like that for as long as Naruto could remember. But he was the only one who could look past that shield, and get to what Sasuke didn't want anyone to see: his emotions. And at this moment, Sasuke had quite a few emotions. There was anger. Sadness. A little betrayal. Relief. Uncertainty. The one that shocked Naruto the most was fear.

Was Sasuke's anger actually worry in disguise?

While Naruto searched Sasuke's eyes, the raven did the same. Naruto could feel him probing, searching just as much. For what, he didn't know. But when Sasuke let his hand drop from Naruto's chin, he knew that they'd come to an understanding.

That's all they ever needed. A look, just one good look into each other's eyes, and everything was figured out. After looking into Sasuke's, Naruto couldn't remember why he'd ever been so scared. They were almost comforting in their darkness. He'd looked into them so many times before, and this time was no different.

Sasuke grasped Naruto's hand, gently, and looked into Naruto's eyes again. It was like he'd never stopped. "It'll be okay. So don't ever do that again, no matter the circumstances. I don't care if God himself tells you to do it. Don't. I'm here because you dragged me here, and I will stay by your side. So don't even think of trying to leave me."

Sasuke almost fell over when Naruto tackled him into an unexpected hug, but he didn't mind. He didn't care that his shoulder was getting wet. He didn't care that he'd gone for almost two days without a good night's sleep. He didn't even care that nothing had been resolved. All he cared about was Naruto in his arms.

That night, with Sasuke's arms wrapped around him, Naruto closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he wasn't in his bed. He was in the dirty, wet, corner of his mind that housed the monster inside him.

"_I'll do it. There, ya happy?"_

"_**About time you saw things my way. I knew you would." **_The twisted fox grinned the same menacing smile from Naruto's nightmares. It made him want to shudder.

"_Just give me a month." _Naruto whispered_._

"_**It's a bit long but… hey, your call. Makes no difference to me if people die in the meantime." **_It lifted one of its giant shoulders in a shrug.

"_Fine. I'll see you in a month then. And DON'T try to contact me. No more nightmares, or I call the whole thing off. And no one's going to die!"_

"_**Sure. Believe what you want. Isn't that what all humans do?"**_

The next time Naruto opened his eyes he was met with Sasuke's sleeping face. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to do this much longer, he hugged the raven back even tighter.

If he hadn't cried earlier, he definitely would now.

* * *

><p><strong>Ha… Naruto's losing his crackers! Just FYI… things are gonna darker from now on. Which means characters are gonna get more OOC. Sorry. I'll do my best, but…<strong>

**You guys showered me with reviews last time! So can ya do it again? Please? Pretty please? I would love you forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever…**

**REVIEW, MY LOVELIES. I NEED YOUR LOVE, OR I WILL SHRIVEL UP AND DIE.**


	20. Noodles of Doom

**Yo! Well, this took a lot longer than I expected. Tee hee. Oh well. I blame it on the fact that I had surgery a few days ago, so although I had most of this chapter written I wasn't able to post it. That, and I've kinda lost my motivation for this fic. :sighs: Anyways, this is going to be a very strange chapter. I kinda dunno what I was thinking when I wrote it, but hopefully it's not horrible. I also blame my decision to post this even though I'm unsure if I should on all the meds I'm currently on :)**

**DISCLAIMER: When I was chock full of pain meds, I could imagine owning Naruto. But now I'm finally awake enough to realize I don't own it, dammit! **

**BTW, this is one of the very, very last times you're gonna see a happy Naru. This is like his last hurrah. So enjoy it while you can…We are getting very, very close to the end… only two or three chapters left, probably. Whoa. And it's already at twenty… damn, this has gone on too long, lol.**

* * *

><p>Naruto giggled. Oh, this was going to be good! He finished putting the last of the ramen in the bucket and his grin grew even more. He just couldn't wait!<p>

"Remind me... Why are you doing this?"

"Cause he took my last bit of ramen away from me and won't let me buy any more instant."

" I see..."

"Thanks again Teuchi, for being a good sport and letting me do this! I really appreciate it!"

The ramen shop owner just shrugged. "All I did was make the ramen. And you're paying a pretty penny for it, and the clean up afterwards."

"That's fine, I have a lot saved up from my missions. It'll be SO worth it in the end."

"Uh, sure… I'm going to stay in the back. _I _don't want to die."

"What?! But you're gonna miss the best part!" Naruto said incredulously.

Teuchi sighed. "You're a good kid; my best customer. It'll be a shame when he kills you."

Naruto just laughed.

**XxXxXxXxX**

Naruto sat impatiently in his seat, kicking his feet around and fidgeting like a little kid. His grin was from ear to ear, and the aura of anticipation surrounding him was almost palpable.

Teuchi sighed. "Kid, I have no idea how your career as a ninja worked out. But if he's coming, I'm hiding while I still can."

"Gotcha! See ya, Old Man." Naruto waved as Teuchi went into the back of the ramen shop.

Naruto grew more impatient with every second. _Dammit, where the hell is that bastard? I told him I wanted to train alone today so I could set this whole thing up! I said, meet me here at three! But is he here? NO! I've been waiting for at least five minutes! WHERE THE HELL IS HE?_

Several seconds later, long enough for Naruto's irritation to increase ten-fold, he heard soft footsteps coming up behind him. Naruto chose to ignore the fact that he'd spent so much time with the bastard recently that he even knew what his footsteps sounded like. Sasuke was coming. _Showtime!_

"Hey, Sasuke! Over here! Hurry up!" Naruto waved at Sasuke, beckoning him to move faster. Sasuke rolled his eyes and kept the same pace… actually, to Naruto it seemed a little slower.

Sasuke finally reached Naruto and stood in front of the blonde, but did not step over the banner and into the restaurant. He continued to stare at Naruto with suspicion in his eyes. Sensing this, Naruto grinned and tried to look as sweet and innocent as possible. Seeing Naruto practically bouncing in his seat, Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "…What's got you so full of energy?"

Naruto's grin stretched even further. "Oh, nothing… nothing at all! Hey, wait a minute, YOU WERE LATE YOU ASSHOLE! WHY?"

Sasuke just gave a shrug and his usual "Hn" as an answer.

"That's all you're gonna say about it, huh? Whatever… Bastard. Anyway…" Seeing Sasuke about to step over into the restaurant, Naruto shouted "Sasuke, wait! You… have to come into the restaurant from the other side! All the way over there, see?" He pointed a finger in the direction.

"And why the hell would I do that?"

"Because… some of my change fell when I was paying Teuchi! Can you get it for me? Please?" Naruto pleaded. But apparently Sasuke was immune to the Puppy Dog Face… or at least, when he was already suspicious.

"Get it yourself, dobe." Sasuke scowled.

"PLEASE? C'mon, don't be an ass; I already paid for your bowl too!"

"…Fine. But you're paying for next time, too." With a slight stomp in his step, Sasuke turned around. He took longer than necessary to reach the other end of the restaurant, and when he did he bent over to search for the dropped coin.

And that's when it happened.

The moment Sasuke stepped inside the restaurant he unknowingly stepped on a wire that triggered a bucket full of ramen to empty onto his head.

For several moments, Sasuke stood there, stunned. He didn't move a single centimeter. The noodles covered his head, shoulders, clothes, and shoes. The salty broth dripped down his face, which was frozen and unreadable.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Sasuke began to move again. He did not look up, but if he did Naruto was sure there'd be murder in his eyes. The raven reached the next seat, stepping on another wire that triggered one more bucket of ramen to drench him.

Sasuke stopped in his tracks once more. The lethal aura surrounding him seemed to take on a life of its own; Naruto felt that if Sasuke were any closer it would reach out and choke him. But that didn't diminish his fun one bit. He was already struggling to hold in his laughter at seeing Sasuke's state of being soaked in delicious noodles.

"I. AM. GOING. TO. KILL. YOU." Sasuke bit out acidly, his voice low and threatening. With that, Sasuke charged. Unfortunately for him, that wasn't the end of the wires. As he ran across the restaurant, two more wires triggered two more buckets of ramen to lighten their loads onto Sasuke. As Sasuke approached Naruto's seat, the blonde couldn't hold it in any longer.

"BWA HAH HAA HAA AHA HA HA!" Naruto literally fell on the floor laughing, clutching his stomach. Tears rolled down his face from laughing so hard. The loud, obnoxious, boisterous sound caught Sasuke off guard enough that he halted the beginnings of his planned assault on Naruto. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Naruto laugh about anything, let alone this loud.

After several agonizing minutes of Naruto's laughter reverberating throughout the town, he was finally able to catch his breath and stand up. He wiped his eyes and, chuckling slightly, said "THAT'S what you get for taking my ramen away from me! YOU DO NOT DISRESPECT THE RAMEN AND GET AWAY WITH IT."

"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" Sasuke roared and lunged at the orange-clad ninja.

Naruto stuck his tongue out. "Just try it, teme. Someone who has noodles in their hair isn't gonna catch me!"

"I will, and I'm going to skin you alive when I do!"

"Bring it!" Naruto used his finger to lower his eyelid in an effort to antagonize Sasuke even more.

"How about I bring a Chidori?" Sasuke sneered as he gathered the chakra in his palms.

"Kiss my ass!" Naruto slapped it obnoxiously before taking off running.

"You're going to die a painful death!" Sasuke shouted, chasing after Naruto.

"You'll have to catch me first!" Naruto took a glance behind him. "Pffft… You look so funny with noodles all over you… ha ha ha!" Naruto burst out laughing again as he ran up a tree.

Sasuke growled and attempted to brush some of the soggy noodles off his person as he ran.

* * *

><p><strong>CASE NUMBER ONE: HARUNO SAKURA<strong>

It was a half hour later, and Naruto was still on the run from Sasuke. They'd been running through the forest, Naruto using the trees to hide. But now Sasuke was gaining on him, and he realized he couldn't keep this up for much longer.

_Hmm… I suppose I need a place to hide… but where? Who would dare to defy Sasuke? _A light bulb glowed over his head. _Oh, I know who'd probably be willing to help me out! _ Naruto leapt to the right and back into the city, fast enough that he hoped Sasuke hadn't seen him.

Thankfully, Naruto's destination was close. A couple minutes later, and he had arrived at the household of Haruno Sakura. The hyperactive ninja didn't bother with the door, but instead opted to leap through the first open window he saw… which just happened to be in Sakura's bedroom… while she was changing clothes.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! NARUTOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Sakura quickly pulled the shirt she was holding over her head and the proceeded to beat Naruto half to death.

The bloody mess formerly known as Naruto hissed "Sorry, but why the HELL did you have the window open if you were half naked? It's not like I saw anything anyway."

Sakura blushed. "It's hot, so I have the window to my room open, okay? I just took a shower and I forgot to bring my clothes into the bathroom."

"Whatever, but… Sakura-chan, you're still in your underwear. It figures that you'd have pink ones, though."

"AIIIIIIIIIII!"

And so Naruto found himself an even bloodier mess. _Forget Sasuke… Sakura will be the death of me!_

When Naruto was a safe distance from his teammate, and she had all her clothes on, Sakura finally asked the obvious question. "Hey, why did you burst through my window anyway?"

Naruto rubbed one of the many bumps on his head. "Oh, that. You see, I just played a teeny prank on Sasuke and now he's attempting to murder me."

"Oh, that's all." Sakura muttered nonchalantly. "Wait… YOU WHAT?"

"I just dumped four buckets of ramen noodles on him, no biggie… I don't see why he's so mad. He was the one who disrespected ramen in the first place." Naruto shrugged.

Sakura sighed. "Naruto, Naruto, you poor simple fool… you're going to die very painfully. It's only a matter of when Sasuke will find you. But don't worry, I'll say nice things at your funeral."

"Nuh-uh. No way he's gonna catch me! So just let me stay here a bit, okay?"

Sakura shook her head. "No way! Sasuke's already tried to kill me once, and I don't care to repeat the process again."

"C'mon! Pleeeeeease? I brought him back just like I promised remember? Remember how you wanted your _Sasuke-kun _ so baaaad? And now he's here because of me! So pleeeeease just let me hide?"

"…Well… when you put it that way… dammit, that's no fair!" She groaned and flopped onto her bed. Naruto let out a cheer because he knew he had won.

"You're a good friend, Sakura-chan. Hey, why don't we go on a date when this is all done? It'll be just like old times… only the two of us…" Naruto waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Nice try, idiot, but not even in your next life." She couldn't stop herself from smiling at the old routine. She knew Naruto didn't like her that way anymore, so it was only a comforting joke.

"You're no fun!" Naruto mock-whined. After a pause, his expression grew more serious. "I do mean it though, Sakura-chan. You're one of the people I love most in this world. You guys, my friends, are the reason why I fight and the reason I'm still here today. You've helped me time and time again, and were always there for me. I couldn't have gotten this far without you. We're a team, even if one of us is a murderous bastard. But I couldn't have asked for a better team."

Sakura's mouth hung open slightly in shock, eyes wide. "N-Naruto? What brought this on?" Concern crept into her voice. "Is everything okay? Do you have a fever or something?"

"Since when does a guy need to have a fever to say something nice about his friends, huh?" Naruto grumbled. "I just felt like saying it, okay? You're important to me, and I want you to know that."

Sakura smiled softly. "Alright, I get it. And you're welcome. I don't think I could abandon you if I tried; you couldn't last one mission without someone fixing your mistakes."

"HEY! I've gone on missions without you before! Sakura-chan, why are you so mean?"

And that was when Naruto started to sense Sasuke's chakra coming ever closer at an alarming rate. Sakura must have sensed it too, because the same terrified expression took hold of her features. "Aw,crap, he's going to be hear any second!"

"SAKURA-CHAN! HIDE ME!"

"Yeah, yeah… uh… um… Ugh, why can't you just hide somewhere else now that he's found you? Or disguise yourself as someone else?"

"A-If I left now he'd catch up to me right away because he's so close; B-He knows my chakra too well, he'd know it wasn't me in an instant. Duh."

"You have about two seconds before he gets here, just-just hide under the covers or something-NOW!" Sakura shrieked. Naruto groaned, but with no other options dove under the bed approximately a half second before Uchiha Sasuke himself appeared in the window.

"Where. Is. He." Sasuke spat out through gritted teeth; his face as cold and venomous as his tone. Sakura couldn't help but think of the saying 'If looks could kill' and that if they did, she'd have died a thousand times with just that one look.

"H-Hi S-S-Sasuke-kun… W-Wh-What do y-you m-mean?" Sakura's fear made her stutter worse than Hinata. She took several steps back.

"_Naruto." _Sasuke said acidly.

"W-What m-m-makes you think he'd be h-h-here?" She tried to smile nonchalantly, but failed miserably.

"Because he's trying to suppress his chakra, but it's obviously coming from this room. Which means you're hiding him. _Why?_"

Sakura gulped loudly. "He's n-not… uh… w-well, you see…" She took several more steps back. This time Sasuke followed her.

From out of the corner of her eye, Sakura could see Naruto trying to sneak his way out from underneath her bed. His head popped out and he brought a finger to his lips in the universal sign to shush. He then mouthed the words "Distract him" and she nodded her head the slightest bit.

Sakura took in a deep, shaky breath and shouted the first thing to come to mind that would stop Sasuke in his tracks. "Naruto saw me naked! Funny, right?"

"_What?!" _Sasuke hissed. He moved his arm to grab Sakura, but a loud creak in the opposite direction made him turn around.

Naruto was at the window, about to jump out. "Try to catch me now, bastard!" With a cheeky grin, he leapt down onto the ground.

"You can run, but you can't hide! And what was that about seeing Sakura naked?" Sasuke shouted back and began his pursuit of Naruto again.

Forgotten, Sakura refused to acknowledge the fact that her knees were shaking. But she hadn't been that scared of Sasuke even when it was her he'd been attempting to kill. _Maybe… it's not such a bad thing that I'm not the one meant for Sasuke after all…_

**XxXxXxXxX**

**CASE NUMBER TWO: HATAKE KAKASHI AND UMINO IRUKA**

Now that they were in the city, it became all the harder for Naruto and Sasuke to play their little game. Attempting to confuse Sasuke, Naruto ducked in and out of the human traffic, up walls and onto rooftops. More than one person cussed him out for bumping into them.

_Hmm, this isn't going to last long in the business district… Now where can I hide next? It can't be too far away… Wait, I just might know someone who doesn't live too far from here and isn't afraid to try to kill Sasuke. Perfect! _Naruto grinned to himself smugly, took advantage to duck behind a fat guy to make Sasuke lose sight of him, and was off.

_Let's see… I think Kakashi-sensei lived around here somewhere… _Naruto stood on a rooftop, searching the city from above. After a few minutes of looking, he sensed the slightest bit of Kakashi-sensei's chakra.

Arriving in front of the small (though not as small as Naruto's own) house, he decided the best approach would be to knock politely. He didn't want a repeat of what he went through with Sakura.

"Uh, hello?" Kakashi said as he opened the door slowly. Naruto figured he didn't get many visitors, so he couldn't blame him for being a little confused as to why someone would bang on his door so violently in the late afternoon.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI! I have a murderous bastard hot on my heels, trying to punch another hole in me. I NEED SHELTER." Naruto's expression was such that Kakashi couldn't even begin to think of arguing. Besides, it sounded amusing.

"Please, do come in."

As soon as Naruto stepped through the threshold, a familiar voice came from what must have been Kakashi's kitchen.

"Kakashi, who was at the door? And dinner's ready-" Umino Iruka stepped into the living room and upon seeing Naruto stopped in his tracks. Naruto froze as well.

_Iruka-sensei… Crap, what's he doing here? I thought Kakashi-sensei was anti-social! There's no way I can face him now… but-but this might be my last chance to see him like this… Before I- Before I have to… _Although images of his nightmare kept running through his mind, Naruto pasted a smile on his face and faced Iruka. No matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't look into the warm brown eyes.

"Haha, Iruka-sensei, what a coincidence! What're you doing here, anyway?" Naruto kept his voice even and natural, despite his inner turmoil.

"Well, uh, me and Kakashi sometimes, kinda, sorta, occasionally have dinner together. Sometimes." Iruka's darting eyes made Naruto wonder what was wrong with him, but figured it was none of his business, so he shrugged it off.

"Oh, I didn't know you guys were friends."

"Y-Yeah. We're friends."

Kakashi just stood there with an amused smile behind his mask.

"That's cool," Naruto grinned, this time more genuine. "I didn't think Kakashi-sensei had any friends."

"Hey now, that's not very nice. Especially when I agreed to aid a fugitive." Kakashi spoke up.

"Fugitive?!" Iruka nearly shouted, alarmed.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Relax, Iruka-sensei, I'm only on the run from Sasuke. I played a teeny prank on him and now he's upset. No big deal."

"What did you do?" Iruka asked. He didn't appear any calmer; if anything he was even more alarmed.

"I just dumped four buckets of ramen on him. That's all. I don't get why he's so mad." Naruto shrugged.

"You're going to die." Kakashi and Iruka said simultaneously.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

Kakashi took pity on Naruto and offered him some of his and Iruka's dinner, as he put it "You should have some good food for your last meal, Naruto. Have some."

The three ninja sat at Kakashi's admittedly small dining table, but there was just enough room for the three of them. Naruto was seated between his two sensei's, and watching them together, making small talk and even laughing occasionally, a warm feeling built up in his chest.

Being with his two sensei like this felt like the most natural thing in the world. At this moment, he truly felt like part of a family. Though he'd never had the luxury of knowing his parents, other than through the chakra they'd left behind, he could imagine this feeling was similar to what it would have been like to have parents.

His friends, his teammates, his sensei's were all a part of Naruto's family now. He couldn't imagine life without them… but he knew he'd have to, all too soon.

Naruto thought about bringing up what he saw in his dream about Iruka's parents, many times. He wanted to say something, to get the overwhelming guilt off his chest. But every time he opened his mouth to confess, the words got stuck in his throat. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't make himself say the words.

Really, telling Iruka-sensei about his dream was just him trying to make things easier for himself. It wouldn't be fair to make his sensei relive his parents' death. Besides, he knew Iruka-sensei didn't hold a grudge against him for harboring the Kyuubi. If Naruto could muster up the strength to tell Iruka, he was sure his sensei wouldn't view him any differently… right?

_It doesn't matter! Just enjoy the time you have left here! _Naruto chided himself.

In a lull of their conversation, Naruto spoke up. "So, Iruka-sensei, how are things going at the Academy?"

"They're still a bunch of obnoxious brats… but it's going as good as ever, I guess." Though the words were weren't exactly kind, the tiny smile and the gleam in his eye told Naruto that Iruka loved his teaching, and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, I was a bit of a handful back then, wasn't I?"

"You were the worse student I had ever encountered."

"Yeah… but you loved me anyway!"

Iruka rolled his eyes and Kakashi chuckled at the truth of the statement.

"You know, Iruka-sensei," Naruto started, "I wouldn't have become the ninja I am today without you. No way would I have graduated from the Academy if you hadn't been there. You're the best teacher that place has ever had."

Iruka, eyes wide, blushed slightly despite himself. "Uh, well, that's… Thank you, Naruto. But I think you're overestimating my abilities."

"You're blushing, Iruka." Kakashi chimed in.

"Shut up."

Naruto shook his head. "No, I'm just telling it like it is. You too, Kakashi-sensei. I wouldn't be the same if you hadn't seen past the obnoxious little kid that couldn't even get a bell from you. All the training, the new techniques you gave me, helped me defeat enemies I wouldn't otherwise. You helped shape my nindo."

"Why Naruto… I'd say I'm touched, but that would be an understatement. But what brought this on?"

The orange-clad ninja shrugged again. "I dunno… I just thought, since you're giving me dinner and stuff, I'd let you guys know how much of an impact you've had on my life while I'm at it. You never know what could happen."

Iruka sighed. "It was the food, wasn't it?"

Naruto grinned. "Yup! This is my second favorite dish after ramen!"

"Now why did I let you pass again?" said Kakashi.

"It was cause I was cute, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, I'm sure _that _was the reason." Kakashi laughed.

Suddenly, a chill ran up Naruto's spine. He shuddered, because he knew what that creeping, cold feeling was. _Sasuke. _The raven was on his way, and his chakra was _angry._ He was so mad that apparently he couldn't even suppress his chakra correctly.

All of Naruto's instincts screamed 'get away while you still can', and his instincts had never let him down before, so he decided to follow them. The blonde stood up from his chair and prepared to leave. "Well, it was lots of fun, but I have a hostile Uchiha after my head, so I should probably get going before he shows up here."

"Ah, so that was the bloodlust I felt. True. Angry Uchiha's are quite scary." Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"Hurry up and leave then! I don't want him trying to kill us, too!" said Iruka.

Naruto, perched on the edge of the closest open window, grinned. "I'll be off then, Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei."

"Bye!" Kakashi waved.

"Bye. Oh, and we need to have lunch together soon!" Iruka waved as well.

Naruto froze. It didn't take him long to recover, only a couple seconds to be able to start breathing again, so it appeared his sensei hadn't noticed his pause. He took in a shaky breath and said "…Yeah, sure." He'd have liked to say more, to make it a more proper and final goodbye, but the words just wouldn't come out.

Naruto inched closer to the edge of the window, about to jump out, but paused at the last second. He turned his head to look at Kakashi and Iruka one more time. Just one more time. He seared the image of the two of them in this peaceful, happy moment, into his brain. He had the feeling he might never see something like this again.

Without further ado, Naruto leapt out of the window and into the sky with a setting sun.

This time, Naruto had no difficulty choosing his next hideout. There was one more person he wanted to see before…

Shaking his head, Naruto headed for the Hokage Tower.

* * *

><p><strong>CASE NUMBER THREE: HOKAGE TSUNADE<strong>

"Oi, Baa-chan, whatcha up to?"

"Whoa!" Tsunade dropped the papers she had been reading at her desk all over the floor. "Dammit, brat, don't sneak up on me like that! And what the hell are you doing just coming into my office as you please?"

Taking that as an invitation, Naruto jumped out of the window he'd come through and into the office. "Oh, you know. Came to say hi, see if your paperwork had killed you yet, and I have an insane Uchiha trying to kill me. The usual."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Right, whatever. Just don't bother me. In case you can't see, I have mountains of paperwork to go through. Sit in the corner and be quiet if you're looking for a place to hide."

"You're the best, Baa-chan."

"Whatever. If he comes here in a rage, you're on your own."

Naruto sat in a chair in the corner as Tsunade said, but he quickly grew bored. The hyperactive ninja always needed to be moving, so when he couldn't move he fidgeted. Squirming in his chair, his knee bobbing up and down, was louder than you think. Tsunade couldn't stand longer than five minutes of this behavior before snapping.

"NARUTO! IF YOU DON'T STOP I'M GOING TO WRING YOUR NECK!"

"But Baa-chan, I'm bored. I snuck away before Sasuke could see where I was going, so it'll be a while before he finds me here."

"If you're that bored, make yourself useful for once. Organize these damn papers for me."

Naruto, happy to have something to do even if it simply mundane paperwork, got to work right away with his usual enthusiasm. Naruto, being Naruto, couldn't stand the silence for long though and started up a conversation after only several minutes.

"Say, Baa-chan, do you remember how ero-sennin always used to summon his toads when he got drunk? And how he'd try to show them off to girls he liked?"

"I thought I told you to SHUT UP brat."

"Whatever, just answer the question."

Knowing Naruto would keep pestering her until she did as he asked, she sighed and gave in. "Fine. Yes, I do in fact remember that. The toads were grouchy every time they saw he was drunk."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, one of them even kicked him once after he passed out."

"That doesn't surprise me. I would have liked to see that."

After that, it seemed Naruto was satisfied. He smiled to himself contentedly as he sorted through the stacks of documents that Tsunade would later read. Thought he silence was companionable, and didn't bother Tsunade in the slightest, she wondered why Naruto was being so quiet all of a sudden. It wasn't like him to listen to anything she said.

Just as she was about to comment on Naruto's lack of attitude today, the blonde suddenly sprang up from his seat and muttered "Oh shit! I gotta get out of here!"

"Something the matter?" Tsunade questioned, mildly curious.

"Sasuke's coming. FAST! Ugh, where to run, where to run?!" Naruto was practically panicking, pacing in circles.

"Oh, I'd forgotten about that. Don't let him trash the place when he kills you."

"Why do people keep saying-OH SHIT!" Naruto screeched as Sasuke jumped through the window of Tsunade's office and directly in front of Naruto.

"I finally found you." Sasuke hissed as he grabbed a hold of Naruto's collar. The malicious glint in his eyes made Naruto break out in a cold sweat. _Not good. This is not good. I think I just might die after all._

"Y-Yeah. What took you so long, Teme?" Weak in the knees or not, there was no way he was going down without a snarky comment or ten.

Sasuke responded by tightening his grip on Naruto's collar and intensifying his glare.

Naruto gulped.

Slowly, without loosening his grip on Naruto at all, Sasuke turned to Tsunade. "I'll be taking this now, thank you."

Tsunade nodded. "He's all yours. Just don't get blood anywhere near my office."

"BAA-CHAN! Aren't you going to do something about this?"

"Nope."

Naruto struggled to be released from Sasuke's grip, but the raven only tugged harder and began dragging him by the collar. Choking, Naruto said one last thing before being taken to his doom.

"Baa-chan, thanks for the necklace!"

He looked directly into her eyes, with a bright smile on his face even though he faced certain death. The kind she hadn't seen on him in far too long. She couldn't help but give a little smirk back.

They both knew he meant so much more than the necklace.

* * *

><p><strong>SO…. Reviews for the poor invalid? Pwetty pwease? Any suggestions or requests for extra 'cases' just in case I feel like letting Naru escape for now? <strong>

**And the really important question… WHAT WILL SASUKE'S PUNISHMENT BE? Tee hee… I have some ideas… Dare I say, shall it be, maybe, possibly… PERVERTED? Review if you want to learn what Naru's fate will be! REVIEW! XD**


	21. Punishment!

**Oh. My. God . I FINALLY got this done! Ugh, it took FOREVER! For those of you who bother to look at my profile, you'd know that my laptop tragically committed suicide as I was in the middle of writing this chapter. I had it halfway done. So sad. Then I had to start all over, which I wasn't keen about, so I dragged my feet in writing this. My goal was to have this posted in July… and I made it! So WHAT if there's less than half an hour left in the month of July? IT'S STILL TECHNICALLY JULY! And for those of you in completely different time zones and it is now technically August… I stick my tongue out at you!**

**Anyways, another strange chapter. That seems to be all I write these days. Sorry. I won't be bothering you much longer. And as a peace offering… a bit of yaoi in this chapter! I got quite a few of reviews demanding smex scenes… they're not quite there yet, but they will be eventually. But there is some yaoiness, so be happy with that. **

**REPLIES TO GUEST REVIEWS:**

**Mudshake: Haha, you're not being punished… they're just not at that stage in their relationship yet. They're getting closer, but we'll see how close they can actually get. Thanks for reviewing! And yes, there is **_**action **_**in this chapter!**

**Reeba: Kinky sex? I like you're style, lol. But sorry, they're not quite there yet. There is some yaoi in this chapter though! And if you want kinky sex… maybe you should check out my oneshot that's basically one long lemon? Huh? Huh? You know you want to… :shameless self promotion: And thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest: Haha, that's okay, it's the thought that counts. Here's more. And thanks for the review anyeway!**

**DISCLAIMER: N-O-T-H-I-N-G! What does that spell? NUH-THING! (Which is exactly what I own…)**

**And yes, I'm finally getting on with the chapter.**

* * *

><p>"Ne, Sasuke?"<p>

"…"

"How long do you plan on dragging me, exactly?"

"…"

"Great, you're a big help, thanks."

Sasuke continued to drag Naruto by the collar of his shirt through the village, apparently intent on doing so until they reached their home. Naruto suppressed a groan. His butt was starting to hurt from being dragged all this time.

"Sasuke, I realize resistance is futile. I'm your prisoner. Do what you will, but PLEASE let me WALK to my doom! My ass is chafing here!

"Good."

"You're an asshole."

"I'm not the one who decided to dump bucket after bucket of ramen on a known killer."

"Well, actually YOU were the one who triggered the wires…"

Sasuke glared at Naruto in a way that would have burned a lesser man to death.

Naruto puffed up his cheeks and stuck his tongue out. This seemed to aggravate Sasuke, judging by the increased speed he dragged Naruto.

"Bastard." Naruto muttered under his breath.

Sasuke's speed increased again.

"Owww!"

Sasuke dragged Naruto past a store well known for its art supplies, and it was right outside its doors that Naruto spotted a familiar figure. Super-pale skin, inky black hair, and blank expression- Sai. Naruto grinned evilly as a light bulb flashed over his head. He'd just gotten a brilliant idea… that might get him into A LOT of trouble, but it would be SO worth it in the end.

A split second before they passed completely by the store, Naruto tapped Sai's ankle with his foot as he was dragged by. Sai turned around, curious. When he spotted Naruto being dragged by Sasuke the blonde mouthed 'Help me!' and Sai immediately nodded, grasping the situation. It was obvious to anyone that knew them that Naruto must have done something to annoy Sasuke to make the Uchiha this pissed.

It seemed that Sasuke hadn't noticed Sai's presence, or at least given his dislike for the strange boy, chose to ignore it, so Sai took the opportunity to take action. _'Ninja Art-'_

An incredibly large, inky black beast that appeared a cross between a lion and a bear jumped out of Sai's Ninjutsu art scroll. Sai jumped on the creature's back and ordered it silently to follow after Sasuke and Naruto. He motioned to Naruto to brace himself and without further ado charged at the duo.

The beast lunged with amazing speed and before Sasuke could react Naruto was swooped up in its powerful jaws. The Uchiha immediately gave chase and Sai couldn't help but turn and give an uncharacteristic superior smirk, not unlike those given by Sasuke himself.

Sai lead his living piece of art and its precious cargo through alleys and shortcuts, on rooftops and into crowds of villagers, taking sharp turns and deviations to lose Uchiha Sasuke. It wasn't easy, but after almost an hour of unrelenting chase it finally happened.

When Sai deemed it safe enough to take a break, and that the beast was becoming a bit too conspicuous, Naruto was finally released from his inky prison.

"ICK! UGH! YUCK! GROSS! ACK!" Naruto cried out dramatically as he was spat out from the creature's mouth. He was completely covered in a black inky mess. "I am NEVER doing that again!"

"Say what you will, but I just saved your ass. Besides, whatever Sasuke's got planned for you now is probably a thousand times worse." Sai commented.

"Ugh… I don't want to think about that right now. I can handle it. I think." Naruto attempted to shake some of the ink off his person, with little success.

"We should probably get you a change of clothes… dripping ink everywhere you go isn't going to help us blend in. Let's go to my place until we can think of a better location."

"Sounds like a plan."

Naruto and Sai climbed onto the beast's back and headed for Sai's house.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Naruto walked into Sai's place with wide, curious eyes. He'd never been inside before. He had to say, he wasn't surprised. It suited Sai well, to say the least. There wasn't much in the way of personal effects, but yet it still somehow screamed Sai. The paintings and art supplies scattered around were the only decorations. Everything else was stark white.

"Nice place you got here." Naruto grinned as he looked around.

Sai shrugged. "It's nothing. Just a roof over my head given to me by ROOT."

"Yeah… but it still feels like home, doesn't it? Even if I didn't know for sure this was your place, I'd still guess that it belongs to you."

"How so?" Sai's expression was as blank as ever, but there was the slightest hint of confusion in his voice.

"Hmm, how should I put this? It's like… it just _feels _like you, somehow. It's hard to explain. It just has your personality. Despite how socially inept you might be at times, and you may not understand emotions very well yet, but you really do have your own unique personality, Sai. No one can ever replace you. You're not just a tool, you're our teammate. If you were a house, you would look like this."

Sai had no idea how respond to that. None of his books on emotions had prepared him for something like this. So he stood there, frozen, not sure of how to react. His heart felt like it was beating faster, for some strange reason, and it unnerved him. So he did the thing that came most natural and decided to ignore the feelings completely.

"…No one's ever told me that before."

"Told you that you looked like a house? Heh, probably not. It's not exactly what I'd call normal." Naruto rubbed the back of his sheepishly and laughed.

Sai's eyes widened the littlest bit, and his eyes looked not quite as dead as they usually did. Trying to dispel the odd feeling in his heart, he once again ignored them and did his best to act normal. "I'll go get you some clean clothes then."

Naruto watched Sai walk away with a satisfied smile on his face. It was nice to see Sai looking _alive _for once. It made him happy to see some emotion on Sai's face, and even more in his eyes. They definitely weren't as blank as they used to be. He was thankful for that. Sai had become a true teammate and a real friend as well.

Sai returned with the promised change of clothes, a black tee shirt and black pants. He also brought a damp towel so Naruto could wipe the ink off. The blonde stripped off his shirt and pants and used the towel to scrub at the black spots all over his body. The spots only faded slightly.

"I don't think this is going to work," Naruto sighed. "Do you mind if I used your shower really quickly?"

Sai shrugged. "I don't mind. That's what friends do, right?"

"Haha, yeah, thanks." Naruto smiled and left for his shower.

When he returned a few minutes later only in a small towel wrapped around his waist Sai's eyes widened.

"Sorry, I forgot to bring the clothes in with me." He hesitated for a second before shrugging and dropping his towel.

"Naruto?"

"What? We've taken baths together before. It's not any different. And besides, we're short on time." He barely pulled his boxers up when-

_Bam!_

Sai's door burst apart.

The Uchiha stepped through the rumble slowly, letting the smoke clear. Naruto and Sai were frozen in fear and shock. The aura around Sasuke was almost palpable. And it was _angry. Pissed. Downright livid._

The aura grew darker and heavier with each passing moment. Sai still wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but he noticed one thing. Sasuke's eyes hadn't strayed from Naruto for one second. A nearly naked Naruto. That Sai was touching.

Slowly, so as to not make any sudden movements, Sai took his hand off Naruto's shoulder. The ramen otaku was still too shocked to move. Sai was on his own.

"What do people say in these situations? Um, it's not what it looks like? Is that it? You see, he got covered in ink when he was in my beast's mouth. He had to take a shower to get all the ink off. He was just getting dressed when you showed up. That's all."

"Get. Away. From. Him." Sasuke hissed.

Sai took several slow steps back. If it was any other situation, then he'd fight back with all he had. He was used to seeing Sasuke as an enemy, from his time as a rouge nin. But since it seemed that Sasuke was only suffering from a case of jealousy, he figured it was best to let Naruto deal with it. The thought of going against Uchiha Sasuke wasn't a smart one, especially when Naruto was concerned.

"We're leaving. Now. And if you try to stop us, I will _kill _you." Sasuke lowered the full force of his glare at Sai, who put his hands up in defeat.

Meanwhile, Naruto was still frozen. Even when Sasuke stalked over and grabbed his wrist, his eyes still had the 'deer caught in the headlights' look. The Uchiha rolled his eyes in irritation before dressing him and throwing the blonde over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Sasuke! It wasn't what it looked like! So don't kill me, okay? Please?" Was the first thing that Naruto said after coming to his senses. The fact that he was strung over Sasuke's shoulder with no idea of how he got there was nervewracking, to say the least. It made him wonder if Sasuke was taking him to a secluded location before killing him.

"I don't like you hanging out with him." Sasuke stated.

"Huh? Well, that's too bad, because he's my teammate. There's nothing you can do about it." Naruto figured he didn't have anything to lose. He was going to die anyway. They'd all been right. He just hoped Sakura would keep her promise and only say nice things at his funeral.

"Oh, really?" Naruto could tell by the tone of his voice that Sasuke was smirking. And it pissed him off.

"Wait… what do you mean by that? You didn't… do anything to Sai, did you? Sasuke?"

Sasuke lifted the shoulder that wasn't carrying Naruto in a shrug. "Who knows? I don't remember. It's possible."

"You asshole! You killed Sai, didn't you? And now you're going to do the same to me! Noooo!"

"Will you quit joking? I didn't kill Sai. I just _wanted _to."

"Huh? So you're not taking me to a secluded place to kill me and then yourself when you find out I didn't _actually_ cheat on you in a tragic Romeo and Juliet type-thing cause you _think_ I cheated on you?" Naruto said, confused.

"…You really need to curb that overactive imagination, Usuratonkachi. You're getting full-on deluded."

"So you're not gonna kill me? That's good, I guess. Though I had kinda looked forward to becoming the new tragic love story that everyone would be talking about forever. We would be SO much more popular than Romeo and Juliet. Don't ya think?"

"…You're really crazy, you know that?"

"Only cause your crazy's contagious. It's all your fault." Naruto grinned.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"If you ever cheat on me for real, I _will _kill you."

"…Right."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Naruto was thrown onto his bed with more force than was strictly necessary, causing his head to hit the headboard with a thump.

"Owww." Naruto groaned and rubbed the bump starting to form on his head. Sasuke stood in front of him, his intense gaze not leaving Naruto's once. Staring at the Uchiha, something came over Naruto that he couldn't put a name to… but he didn't dislike it.

Suddenly Naruto leaned forward until his face was only a few centimeters away from Sasuke's. When Sasuke raised an eyebrow in question Naruto said "You still smell like ramen."

Naruto closed the distance between their lips. He slowly ran his tongue over Sasuke's lower lip and whispered "Mmm. Salty." The Uchiha pushed him forward onto his back and straddled him. The blonde sniffed the junction between Sasuke's shoulder and neck for several moments and then let his head rest there, content.

"Maybe I should get ramen dumped on me more often," Sasuke muttered. There's a silver lining to everything, as they say, he supposed.

"Why? I thought you hated touching. But you should anyway. You smell delicious."

"Are you going to eat me?"

"Yup." Naruto gave a wicked grin and licked the spot on Sasuke's neck. It tasted as good as it smelled, maybe even better because it had the taste of Sasuke mixed in. The subtle, barely there shudder from Sasuke made it even better in Naruto's opinion. It tasted so good that he couldn't help but bite down just a little.

Sasuke hissed, though not in pain. "You idiot. That's going to leave a mark."

"Oh. Sorry." He didn't sound sorry, and they both knew it. So he batted his eyelashes innocently, receiving the desired effect of Sasuke rolling his eyes instead of trying to punch him in the face.

In the time it took to blink, Naruto found himself with his arms pinned above his head by Sasuke. The raven snickered arrogantly and said lowly "This is _your _punishment, so I will be the one leaving marks on you. Get it? Or do you insist on fighting?"

"I hate you. Let me go." His harsh words were disregarded by the blush on his cheeks.

"I thought I smelled good enough to eat?"

"You do, but if your mouth's part of the deal I'm gonna have to pass on the whole thing."

"Oh? I was under the impression that you wanted to eat ramen again in your lifetime?" He had an evil glint in his eye that Naruto knew meant he wasn't kidding.

"GAH! I really hate you!"

"It's not my fault you thought it was a wise idea to piss off an Uchiha." Sasuke shrugged.

"Will you shut up?" Naruto began struggled to get out of Sasuke's hold.

Sasuke had to admit, Naruto's writhing body beneath his didn't feel bad at all. Quite the opposite. He brought his pale lips to the perfectly tan ones below. Wanting more, he slipped his tongue into the others mouth. Naruto tensed at first, as he had never experienced this, but after a little coaxing from Sasuke he began to move his tongue with the other. The two explored every inch of each other's mouth like never before. And yet, both wanted more.

Sasuke's hands roamed freely, feeling the soft skin of Naruto's cheek. The strong muscles of his arms and as his hand drifted lower, his thighs. Naruto gave a yelp when Sasuke cupped his butt. The raven paused for one brief moment, but when Naruto didn't vocalize any protests, only an immensely red face, he continued.

Feeling confident after the lack of protest Sasuke decided to fulfill his desire to touch _all _of Naruto's bare skin. He lifted Naruto's shirt up until his hand met Naruto's taut stomach.

"That's better." Sasuke's palm massaged the muscles all over until the shirt became annoying and he just quickly lifted the shirt over Naruto's head all together. To his surprise Naruto didn't hesitate in attaching his lips right back to Sasuke's.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Um… Sasuke?" Naruto asked later that night after they had both taken a shower (Separately! Despite Sasuke's offer).

"…"

"What is that in your hand?"

"A collar."

"I can see that. And what exactly do you plan on doing with that collar?"

Before Naruto could even think about attempting to dodge Sasuke had the collar fitted around Naruto's neck perfectly.

"That."

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS FOR?!"

"Punishment."

"YOU BASTARD!" Naruto yelled as he struggled to undo the collar.

Sasuke smirked. "Try all you want, but that collar's not coming off until I want it to."

"WHAT?!"

"It's a tool ninja's use to subdue prisoners. It will only release if I pump my chakra into it." His smug, arrogant tone only served to make Naruto more agitated.

"You are an evil, sadistic, motherfucking bastard." Naruto spat.

"You know me so well." Sasuke said in a false sweet tone.

"THAT WASN'T A FUCKING COMPLIMENT!"

Sasuke stood there watching Naruto trying to take off the collar despite what Sasuke had told him. Naruto sat on the bed, tugging at the collar with all his might. _'Hmm… it's missing something.' _ Sasuke thought to himself. After a few seconds of deliberation he realized what it was. He went to the dresser drawer that he had long since claimed as his and pulled out a small charm. Naruto was still preoccupied with the collar, so he didn't notice Sasuke pad over and stand over him again until Sasuke had his hand on the collar.

"What's that?" Naruto paused in his useless ministrations when he noticed the charm. His tone was suspicious, and rightly so.

"A charm," Sasuke and held it up the light for Naruto to see. "My mother gave it to me a long time ago for good luck. I've kept it ever since."

Naruto's expression visibly softened. "What are you doing with it right now?" Before Naruto could react Sasuke had the charm attached to the front of the collar.

"Wha-Wha-WHAT THE HELL?"

"That's better." Sasuke had a very self-satisfied smirk on his face, but there was a trace of warmth in his eyes that only Naruto could see. It was enough to make Naruto's anger (mostly) dissipate.

"I cannot BELIEVE how much of a bastard you are."

Sasuke turned off the light and they both climbed into bed. Just before Naruto was about to fall asleep he heard Sasuke say his name in a way that made him nervous.

"Naruto…"

"Hmmmm?"

"What was this I heard about you seeing Sakura naked?"

"Uh, well, you see, I was hiding in her bedroom, and…" Naruto gulped.

Sasuke's glare increased ten-fold. Naruto was _screwed._

* * *

><p>The citizens of Konoha were in shock. Their jaws dropped. Their eyes bugged. They did double-takes. They paused whatever they were doing. All to stare at the spectacle of Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto as they casually strolled through the village.<p>

Sasuke was leading Naruto through the village by the collar with a leash. And if that wasn't enough, the collar clearly had the Uchiha family crest dangling from the center of the front.

Sasuke didn't appear to be fazed by the obvious stares in the slightest. He walked nonchalantly with his head held high, as always. If anything, his gait seemed _more _arrogant than usual. As for Naruto… his glare aimed at anyone and anything (but concentrated on the back of Sasuke's head) could rival an Uchiha glare- if not for the deep red blush on his cheeks.

When Sasuke and Naruto reached their destination of Ichiraku Ramen they noticed Kiba occupying one of the seats, with Akamaru sleeping at his feet. He was too busy eating to notice them.

Teuchi came out to greet them. When he caught sight of Naruto behind Sasuke he burst out laughing; he laughed so hard he couldn't breathe. Naruto's scowl and blush grew in proportion to the volume of Teuchi's laughter. Confused as to why the shop owner suddenly burst into manic laughter, Kiba turned around to see what Teuchi had been laughing at.

Kiba immediately joined Teuchi in rolling on the floor laughing. Sasuke seemed slightly pleased with this development. When Kiba could breathe again he barely managed to ask "Wh-Who's the dog now, huh, Naruto?" in between snickers.

"It's still you, Kiba. Still you." Naruto growled.

Kiba laughed some more before he could reply. "I'm not the one wearing a damn collar! Why_ are_ you wearing that thing anyway? And is that… the Uchiha crest?"

Naruto was about to lunge at Kiba but Sasuke pulled on the leash. He answered the question while Naruto gagged and mentally plotted his murder. "He played a prank on the wrong person, and now he's being punished." No one cared to mention the chill that came over the room with that statement.

"I see," Kiba chuckled. "And that 'wrong person' would be you?"

"Hn." Sasuke nodded.

Teuchi finally got to his feet, appearing to be trying to hold back any more laughter. Sasuke looked at Naruto and inclined his head towards the shop owner. The blonde sighed and bowed deeply. "Old Man, I deeply apologize from the bottom of my rotten heart for the disruption that I caused to your business. It won't happen again."

"It's fine. Anything for my best and favorite customer." Teuchi smiled warmly to show that all was forgiven.

"That will do." Sasuke said as he took his seat.

"Thank you, Sasuke-Sama." Naruto ground out through his gritted teeth. He sat between Sasuke and Kiba with an aggravated plop.

"S-S-S-S-Sama?" Kiba snickered, trying not to fall on the floor again.

Naruto glared at him. "He threatened to personally see to it that I never eat any kind of ramen again if I didn't do exactly what he said, okay? Shut up!"

"I get that, and it does seem like something he would seriously do. But why the collar? And the Uchiha crest attached to it?"

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno. He put it on me before I could even try to stop him. He's just weird I guess."

"More like weirdly possessive." Kiba muttered.

"Huh?"

"Nothing!" Kiba said quickly when he noticed Sasuke's glare. Teuchi arrived with their orders and Naruto dug in with his usual vigor. As soon as he licked the bowl clean he was about to ask for another but Sasuke interrupted.

"Only one." Sasuke stated.

"Whaaaa? But there's no way I can survive on only one!" Sasuke stared at him pointedly until Naruto sat back down and spat "Yes, Sasuke-Sama."

Satisfied, Sasuke finished his bowl and stood. "Let's go." Naruto stayed behind for a moment to say goodbye to Kiba.

"See ya later then! It's been fun." He waved enthusiastically.

"Yeah, let's go on a mission together soon. Hey, will you call me Kiba-Sama?"

"Over my dead body, asshole!" Naruto shot back over his shoulder."

"Hurry up." Sasuke called.

"Yeah, yeah, Sasuke-Sama. I'm coming." Naruto stuck his tongue out to Sasuke's back. But he picked up the pace just the same.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Oh. Naruto, it looks like we just received a new mission." Sasuke plucked the scroll from the bird's beak and watched it fly off.

"Really? What kind of mission?" Naruto asked as he continued to dry his wet hair from the shower he'd just taken.

"We just have to guard this foreign dignitary back home. They have reason to believe that enemy Nin will be after him. We'll be the only two on the job. We leave tomorrow at dawn."

When Naruto didn't immediately reply, Sasuke turned around to look at him. He noticed the furrow between the blonde's eyebrows. Naruto looked troubled. But why? He would normally be excited to have any mission, even if only a bodyguard mission. "Something wrong?"

"Huh? No, of course not. It's nice to finally have another mission!" He smiled but it looked forced. Sasuke frowned, but let it go.

Beneath Naruto's smile was torrent of dread, uncertainty, and shock. _One month…My…_

_My one month is up tomorrow._

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

The mission was simple. Escort a man to the border of his homeland, and his country's own Nin would take over from there. Just guard and protect. Really, the mission was so simple that Sasuke couldn't understand why Anbu had been appointed for this mission. The man must have been _really _important to have earned this kind of security detail.

Not that Sasuke cared. He did his job to stay invisible and guard the man. He cut what needed to be cut and sliced what needed to be sliced. The enemy Nin were mediocre compared to the great Uchiha Sasuke. They never stood a chance. Adding Uzumaki Naruto, the village hero, made them seem downright amateurish. They were so good at their job, Sasuke was sure their client had no idea any enemies had even shown up.

The mission went off without a hitch. Neither Konoha Nin got so much as a scratch on them. The only thing that bothered Sasuke?

Naruto was quiet.

Much, much too quiet.

Even when Naruto had been told multiple times on missions to shut his mouth, it never lasted for long. Stealth had never been one of his strong points. So why was he so quiet now? Even when he had been promoted to Anbu and went on the mission to Suna he had kept up his usual steady stream of chatter. So much that it was annoying. So why would he choose this mission to be the model ninja?

So far, the only talking Naruto had done was when strictly necessary. He'd spoken to the client upon greeting and that was it. When Sasuke asked him a question he answered, but that was it. He didn't engage in conversation even once.

The whole thing annoyed Sasuke more than it should. Which made it even more annoying.

Sasuke attempted to question Naruto on his sudden silence while camping outdoors overnight, but it was like talking to a brick wall. Naruto only said that they were on a mission and should thus be strictly professional. As Naruto and Sasuke were instructed to be as invisible as possible, while the client camped out in a tent the Nin hid in trees.

Thankfully it was only an overnight mission. They arrived at the border the next afternoon. And without the client dragging them down Naruto and Sasuke could reach Konoha that evening.

Despite Sasuke's attempts at conversation, Naruto refused to talk on the way home. He'd merely smile blankly or shrug when asked a question. But when Sasuke had his back turned, he swore he felt eyes on the back of his head, like Naruto was staring at him. So why wouldn't he talk?

The whole thing was incredibly annoying.

By the time they reached the gates of Konoha, Sasuke was ready to kill something. The poor ninja guarding the gates almost had a heart attack when they saw Sasuke's expression.

Sasuke was about to walk through the gate when he noticed Naruto wasn't following. He turned around, confused, to see Naruto frozen in place several yards away.

"Naruto?"

The next thing he knew, blood was spraying through the air.

_And so it begins._

* * *

><p><strong>One more down… and one to go! I think. The next chapter SHOULD be the last one, but we'll see. I never know what's going to happen until it happens. I'll try to have it up in a couple weeks or so, cause I wanna get this wrapped up. I have tons of new ideas buzzing around my head getting mad cause they're not getting used. <strong>

**All shall be revealed in the next chapter! Or not. Probably not. You'll find out why… next time! So please, please review! It would make me a very happy girl! Please review, with extra begging on top! The more reviews, the more motivation I'll have to write. Scouts Honor :shifty eyes:**

**One more… :looks nostalgically into the distance: What's up with these long ANs? Shutting up. **


	22. I Can't Stay

**Ah... the last chapter. Finally. There were days when I never thought I'd get here, and yet here I am. I admit, it's a little rushed, but I've been kinda busy and I'm only gonna get busier once school starts soon so I figured get it over with instead of making you guys wait another few weeks. **

**DISCLAIMER: I declare thee… DISCLAIMED! **

**RESPONSES TO GUEST REVIEWS:**

**Red-Raven129: Thank you so much for reviewing! Heh, laziness? My laziness knows NO bounds. I commend you even going so far as to review. Well, thanks for the compliments. Glad you think so. In all actuality my cliffhangers are just me being too lazy to type what comes next or think about what comes next. Erm, everything revealed? Heh… I have a feeling you're going to be disappointed…**

**Ovicati: Thanks for reviewing! Well, I dunno about happy and cheery cause I always have angst hidden somewhere… but things certainly took a turn for the worse. You're about to find out whose blood!**

**Sutefan Rara: BWA HA HA HA! You are my kind of girl! I promise I won't let one of them die… at least until after they finally go all the way, hee. Yup, I love cliffhangers… they're great for lazy people. Thanks for the compliments and reviewing!**

**Guest: Well, um, it might not be EXACTLY done… you'll see when you get to the bottom. Glad you like it though, and thanks for reviewing!**

* * *

><p>"Kakashi-Sensei! So glad you're finally here! We're running out of reinforcements. He keeps taking them out faster than we can get help. Lady Hokage's away at the moment..."<p>

"Calm down, Sakura. We've brought him back before, we can do it again, I'm sure. So bring me up to speed. What exactly happened?"

"I don't know much myself… I was working in the hospital when I heard that he'd killed one of the guards and the other barely managed to get away… and that he was 'losing it' or whatever the guard said. I came as fast as I could to help and saw… this."

Sakura motioned to the sea of motionless bodies sprawled on the forest floor dyed in red.

Sakura's green eyes began to fill with unshed tears. "They say… they say that he snapped, and… and we might have to-to take him out…"

"That's the worst-case scenario. But the best-case scenario might not be too much better. There is an awful lot of bodies there…"

"Why, Kakashi-sensei? Why would he do this?" _I promised I wouldn't cry anymore… but… it's so hard… when your heart is breaking. _

"I don't know Sakura. The only thing I can do, the only thing any of us can do, is to stop him from wreaking any more havoc. I'm going to need your help. Can you do that?"

Sakura blinked back her tears and nodded.

"Even if we have to take him out?"

This time Sakura's response was slower in coming. She nodded her head slowly and said "Y-Yes."

Kakashi looked at her for several more seconds before appearing satisfied with her answer. "Alright. Let's get down to business."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

_Goddammit… what the hell is going on? Why did he snap like that? I thought everything was going to be fine… I swear, when I catch him I'm going to kick his ass so hard…_

The nin paused in his attempts at pursuit when he felt two familiar chakra signatures coming from behind him. He debated whether it would be more prudent to keep following his target or wait for the backup. With a sigh, he decided he most likely wouldn't be able to handle this on his own and waited for them to catch up.

Within seconds Sakura and Kakashi appeared in front of their fellow Konoha nin, ready to put their plan into action. It was an understatement to say that they were surprised to find him waiting; they'd expected him to be in battle already despite the fact that he was alone and the odds would be against him.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd already be facing off against him." Sakura was the first to speak up.

He shrugged. "I decided it would be useful to have some help. I can't afford to take any risks with him. Now do you have a plan or am I wasting my time?"

"Hey now-"

Kakashi put his hand up to halt Sakura's raised fist. "Sakura, while I wouldn't mind punching him myself at the moment, it wouldn't be the most prudent thing to do. We need his help. We won't be able to pull this mission off without him."

Sakura scowled but lowered her fist. She knew emotions didn't help on missions, but it was so hard to just leave them behind when the mission became personal. She took a deep breath to try and center herself. She would NOT hinder this mission. And could she really blame him for being stressed at the moment?

"We have an idea, though it's probably insane and we're crazy for even attempting it. But it's all we've got," Sakura said calmly.

"Heh. Sounds like my kind of plan. What do we have to do?"

"A full-frontal attack."

"You're right, that is crazy. Let's do it."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

The three of them were just about to head out to execute their plan when more unexpected help arrived. Kiba, Shikamaru , Neji, Lee, and Sai landed in front of what was left of Cell Number Seven.

"We are here to help!" Lee exclaimed. "We don't want him to disappear again, so we'll do everything in our power to bring him back."

"Now I have no idea what made him snap like that, but there must be a logical explanation for it. It's quite troublesome, but I think it would be even moreso if he wasn't around. I'll help and get to the bottom of this," Shikamaru sighed.

Kiba growled from his spot on top of Akamaru, "We're bringing him back, just you watch. He's not getting away that easy."

Neji stood stone-faced. It was obvious he wasn't as convinced as the others, but he was committed nonetheless. "I feel I owe a debt to him," he said simply.

With his usual creepy smile Sai said "He is my teammate too. And a friend. I don't want him to leave, so I will help."

Kakashi stepped forward. "We'll need all the help we can get, thank you. I'll explain the plan in detail now, so listen closely."

* * *

><p>This was it. The moment the plan would be executed was rapidly approaching. The various Konoha nin waited patiently in their carefully thought out positions, ready to act at a moment's notice. After running off, their target had reached the edge of Konoha. For an unknown reason he paused before he left it completely. He stood there, looking back at the way he'd come- at Konoha.<p>

It was the perfect opportunity. Mindful that it could potentially be a trap, though unlikely, the team swung into action.

Sakura created a distraction with her monster strength by leaping down from her hiding place in the trees and punching a huge crater in the ground directly in front of the target. The team had decided that Sakura should show herself first because she was the most unexpected. Medic nins were generally supposed to be on the sidelines, not launching full-frontal attacks.

When their target moved to run away again Kiba came up behind, effectively blocking that path. Akamaru growled as a warning. The target frowned, but otherwise did not react. He simply turned to flee in a different direction, only to come face-to-face with another obstacle- Sai and an ink beast.

At this point the target was completely surrounded. That was Neji's cue to leap down and attack him with the Gentle Fist. He did so wordlessly and efficiently but none of his blows were hitting. Anticipating that this could happen, Lee had been told to assist Neji if it looked like he needed it. With a gleeful battle cry of "First Gate: Open!"

An astounding display of taijutsu followed. Lee and Neji attempted to overwhelm the target but they weren't having much luck. Despite being horribly outnumbered he fought against the two Konoha nin without any problems.

Lee opened the second gate and Neji increased the number of palms. Kiba jumped in the battle with his Fang Over Fang attack. Sai joined in, creating many of his ink beasts as possible. Kakashi appeared with a chidori aimed at the target's stomach. Sakura punched and kicked with all her strength.

So why were they being defeated?

The forest clearing was completely covered in ink and blood. Sai panted from his constant state of drawing beast after beast as they were destroyed almost instantly.

Kiba was thrown against a tree with such incredible force that there were audible snaps; from the tree cracking or his bones, he didn't know. Sakura rushed to heal him in case there was anything fatal.

Lee was on the third gate but was quickly losing stamina.

Neji's attacks were hitting, but so were the target's. He couldn't fathom a guess as to how many kunai were stuck in him and how many chakra attacks he'd taken head-on. It was getting hard to think straight.

Shikamaru watched from his place in the trees. He was the second-to-last line of defense and was instructed not to reveal himself unless everyone before him was defeated. And it looked like he might have to step out any second now. None of them could keep this up much longer.

Slash after slash. Punch after punch. Kick after kick. Stab after stab. Ninjutsu after Ninjutsu. Attack after attack. Slowly but surely the Konoha nin were defeated.

The target stood there, breathing heavily. There was no emotion in his face. He was completely guarded. _Shit… I had no idea he was this powerful. Well, this makes the second rescue mission I completely fucked up. But something seems wrong… maybe I can get through to him. No one else tried to talk to him because we figured it'd be useless, but I guess it can't hurt to try. _

Shikamaru landed in front of the target. His eyes widened, but remained expressionless. When he lifted a hand to presumably launch another attack Shikamaru quickly lifted his hands up in the air in a sign of surrender. "I just want to talk. Hear me out."

The target stood still, so Shikamaru took that as a signal to continue. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Look, you did some questionable things. We have no idea why you're doing this, but we're willing to hear your side of the story. There's no need to leave Konoha. We'll get to the bottom of this together, okay. Let us help you. We're not your enemies here."

The guarded mask the target wore finally broke upon hearing Shikamaru's words. He looked irritated and desperate all in one. Shikamaru's suspicions that something wasn't right with this situation was confirmed, though he still had no idea what that could be.

"I have to do this," the target whispered. "I have to. There's no other way, no matter how much I wish there was. So just let me do this. If you get in my way, you'll regret it."

Shikamaru's mind whirled with all the new information he'd received from those few words. He began to try to put together the pieces of a very complicated puzzle. But the bigger picture was still a mystery. "If you'd just explain _what _it is you have to do exactly, then maybe we could help-"

"No. Either let me go or get hurt. I don't want to hurt you, but I will."

As fast as he could Shikamaru activated his Shadow Possession jutsu, freezing the target. Though he couldn't move an inch, Shikamaru could see the storm brewing in his eyes. He could also feel the other's chakra working against his, trying to escape the jutsu. The force of the dark chakra was almost overpowering, and Shikamaru found himself struggling to maintain control of his jutsu. Despite his efforts the poisonous chakra was too powerful and overloaded his possession jutsu.

Before he knew it Shikamaru had a kunai in his shoulder and his palm. He cried out in pain and fell to the forest floor. _Shit… I can't use anymore jutsu. He's going to get away._

Before he took to the trees to flee the target paused. He whispered one word that caused Shikamaru to freeze in shock and rethink everything about this mission.

"Sorry."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Wait, Sakura. You can't go after him yourself."

Sakura turned around to see her sensei on the ground with his one gray eye open and watching her carefully. She glared defiantly and growled "Watch me."

"He's too fast. He's probably almost to the border by now. With your leg like you won't get very far."

"But-"

"You know I'm right! You need time to heal yourself first. And you have quite a few others that need help. Neji's lost a good amount of blood."

"A medic team will get here soon-"

"Sakura!"

Sakura jumped at the tone her sensei used. She knew he was right. She knew. But that didn't mean she had to like it. She would give anything to be chasing after her teammate right this moment. But as Kakashi said, she had people that needed healing. Not to mention the hole in her leg.

Sakura slumped against a tree in defeat. Kakashi sighed in approval. She began the lengthy process of repairing the damage to her leg so that she could heal the others as well. Several seconds later a figure appeared in front of her that made her eyes widen and nostrils flare in anger.

"What are you doing here? You were supposed to follow him!" Sakura spat.

"I am, but there's something I need to ask Shikamaru."

Hearing his name Shikamaru looked up from his spot slumped against a tree. His fellow Konoha nin appeared in front of him with an agitated expression. Shikamaru guessed that was because his every muscle was ready to chase after the target at any given second. It was in Shikamaru's best interests to speak as quickly as possible. "There's more to this than meets the eye. Something's going on behind the scenes that he isn't telling us. He told me 'I have to do this.' And the look in his eyes… I really don't think he wanted to do this."

The other Konoha nin looked thoughtful for a moment before moving to pursue the target. But a hasty "Hold on," from Kakashi had him pausing in his tracks.

"I agree with Shikamaru. If he had really snapped I believe it would be much worse than it is. Did you notice that he only killed _some_ people? Most that were wounded were not fatal. It's like he was choosing his victims. He didn't harm any of us more than what he knew Sakura could heal fairly easily once she herself was healed," Kakashi said quietly.

"You think I didn't know all that?"

"I understand that you know him best. But sometimes you need to be objective."

"Tch."

"Alright, I'll get to the point. Borrow my nin dogs. They'll help you track him, because by now he has a pretty good headstart. I'll make sure they'll listen to what you say." Kakashi weaved in quick succession a series of handsigns. Seconds later two dogs appeared from a cloud of smoke.

"Kakashi? What do you want?" Pakkun yawned, as if he had just woken from a nap.

"We need you to follow this scent at all costs," Kakashi held out a strand of hair that he'd plucked during the battle for such an occasion.

Pakkun sniffed it, as did his partner. "Ah, I remember him. How is he doing?"

"He could probably be better, as he just killed over a dozen people in cold blood."

"Oh."

"He will be going with you. Follow his orders." Kakashi nodded towards the nin next to him.

"Oh. You. Ah well, let's let bygones be bygones, shall we?" Pakkun looked up with guarded eyes that still looked a little drowsy.

The teen shrugged. "I'm going."

"Good luck. You're going to need it."

And he left.

* * *

><p>He ran. As fast as he could, he ran. Never resting, never stopping, nor did his target. The nin dogs had tired out and were only able to point him in the right direction the scent was leading before poofing back wherever they'd come from. But still no sign of the target.<p>

_Damn it, where the hell is he? I've been at this for almost half a day! Those damn dogs better not have given me a dead trail._

He didn't have a ton of experience in tracking, but he had done it before. There was no way to be a hundred percent sure at the moment, but he was confident he was going in the right direction. No matter how long it took he'd do everything within his power to find his target.

_He better not have done anything stupid! If he does, I'll kick his ass! If anyone else from the village captures him who knows what will happen to him. Not everyone is as gentle as me. And who knows where the Akatsuki is. Godforbid if he comes across them alone. _At that thought, he willed himself to run even faster.

It wasn't until almost two days straight of running that he found his first real clue. He knew by now that he'd long since passed the border to the Fire Country. He couldn't be bothered to think about his whereabouts now, however.

The Konoha nin passed by the tree trunk with a slash in the center, almost as if it was pointing him in the right direction. The potential to be a trap was low, considering who he was pursuing. It wasn't his style. The sense that he got from the marking on the tree was that of anxiety, or perhaps desperation.

Not long after leaving the tree behind a scent hit his noise with the force of a rasengan, or worse. It was not completely unexpected, however. Resisting the urge to gag and get as far away from the offending odor as possible he continued on to its source.

He came upon a clearing that would have been beautiful any other day. The lush green grass, flowering shrubs, and the thick emerald-colored leaves on the tall trees surrounding the clearing made for a picture-perfect scene.

If it wasn't covered in blood, that is.

His target stood in the middle of the clearing with his back to him. He did not move an inch even when the Konoha nin approached. Only when he was a few feet away did the target finally acknowledge his presence.

"They followed me here. I didn't want to dirty such a beautiful place, but I had to." He said, finally breaking the tense silence.

The Konoha nin crept a little closer, ignoring the bodies on the forest floor. "I'll bring you back," he whispered, "even if I have to break every single bone in your body."

"Heh," the target laughed bitterly, "Now where have I heard that before?"

"…"

The silence continued. The tension kept building and building until only a hastily said word could break it. They came spilling out without meaning to, and once he started he found he couldn't stop. "I… I had to. I _had _to. I'll even play the bad guy if I have to, if it means I can save those I care about."

The Konoha nin's head snapped up. Whatever he'd been expecting, it was not this. He opened his mouth to ask what that meant when-_Cough. _He fell to his knees, coughing up an unhealthy amount of blood.

The hand that wasn't supporting him flew to the brand-new hole in his chest.

Through blurred eyes he finally glimpsed the face of his target turn to his own. Their eyes met in a clash of sky blue and midnight black. In the eyes of the one he was supposed to bring back home, the Konoha nin saw a flurry of emotions. There was desperation, as he'd guessed. Certainly anxiety and fatigue. But the emotion that was most apparent was one that he knew all too well- an overwhelming sadness.

"I'm sorry," the target whispered, "Don't hate me. Just please don't hate me."

He wanted to respond, but he couldn't. There was too much blood lodged in his throat. He spat up more, trying to clear it. His vision was becoming dark along the edges; fading fast. The last thing he saw before blacking out completely were several different black cloaks with red clouds emerging from the trees.

And his target headed straight for them.

"I'm… going to…" _hack, more blood, "_bring you back… no matter… what." Although his voice was barely audible even to his own ears, the target halted in his tracks as if he had heard him anyway. A faint glimmer of hope spread through him when the target turned around with so many conflicting emotions crossing his face in way that was not quiet sane.

He whispered the name of the one he was supposed to bring back, the one he was supposed to love, the one he was supposed to fight alongside always. He whispered it with everything he had, even as his eyes were closing and he heard the flurry of leaves that meant he was now alone.

He'd bring him back. No matter what it took. No matter what obstacle stood in his way, even death, he would bring him back. He would survive, and he would bring him back. Something like this would not deter him. He'd lived through so much more, and he would Bring. Him. Back.

He whispered…

"Naruto…"

* * *

><p><strong>WARNING: SUPER DUPER MEGA ULTRA LONG AN**

**And there you have it. I know the battle scene completely and utterly sucked. I know it might have been a little confusing… just to clarify in case it was worse than I thought, Naru is the **_**target**_**. Which means Sasuke is the **_**Konoha nin**_**. I felt the need to make this chapter mysterious for reasons unknown. So yes, Naru is the one that leaves Konoha. Comprende?**

**So please, no matter what you thought of it I would really love to hear your thoughts. Please review. I shall pledge my undying love for you if you do. I will of course answer any questions you have. I've always made it my policy to respond to every single review I receive, though I admit I may occasionally forget the guest ones. For one last time… push that button at the bottom? Push it good? Push it REAL GOOD? Sorry, I couldn't resist…I was just at a wedding…**

**Before I start saying my goodbyes I kinda somewhat sorta have an announcement to make… :ahem: Target was initially intended as a trilogy. Which means that there would be a SEQUEL.**

…**but that's only if I feel like writing it. **

**I have ideas for a sequel and in some ways they might even be more fleshed out than this one was. I actually thought of most of my ideas for the sequel before this one. And because I know this story feels incomplete because not everything is explained in the end. Like I said, initially meant to have a sequel. But the problem is I don't know if I feel like writing it now… I just don't think there's the demand for it. But if I find out there is then perhaps I will consider writing it. Someday. A LONG time from now. And if it turns out I don't want to write the sequel but there are those of you who want to know what the heck happened, I assure you I won't forget about you. So if you could include in your review whether you'd be interested in a sequel or not (which would include more yaoi!) please let me know. I would appreciate it. A LOT.**

**So as I prepare myself to change this fic from 'in progress' to 'complete' I want to say thank you.**

**To everybody that alerted…**

**To everybody that favorited…**

**To everybody that reviewed…**

**To everybody that read this…**

**To everybody that had a kind word…**

**A big, huge, THANK YOU! I want to give each and every one of you a bear hug, a dozen cookies, and a sports car. You're that awesome. I'd love to fondle every one of you :D This has NOT been easy, but you guys made it so much fun! You guys seriously warmed the cockles of my nonexistent black heart. Thank you for all the encouragement and laughs you have given me. I kind of stumbled upon the world of yaoi and fanfiction, but now I'm never leaving. This definitely won't be the last you hear of me. I have plenty of plotbunnies fighting to get out my airhead. LOTS of them will be Sasunaru, of course! I already have my next fic lined up. Hint: the source material starts with a J. lol, I probably just gave it away. It probably won't be too long before I have it up and running. **

**Once again, thank you! I love you guys! Adios! :waves: **


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